‘Treaties can influence expropriation’
HEALTH Minister Zweli Mkhize yesterday launched the new, potent, HIV drug that will help suppress the viral load in HIV-positive patients to an undetectable level quicker and at a much cheaper cost for the public health care system.
Mkhize was in Mthwalume, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, where he told the community that patients living with the virus would only have to consume the new single tablet, made of three different tablets called Tenofovir, Lamivudine and Dolutegravir (TLD), once a day due to its potency in suppressing the virus.
He said as part of their fight against HIV, at least three districts in the province, Ugu, uMzinyathi and uMkhanyakude had met the global 90/90/90 target which focuses on 90% of those living with the virus knowing their status, with 90% of those diagnosed being provided treatment and 90% achieving viral suppression.
“We wanted the 90/90/90 target to be reached even before the TLD was brought on board, we have three districts (in KZN) that have reached the 90/90/90 target but next year KZN will have another five or so districts that will qualify for the 90/90/90 target.”
He said that with more than 7 million South Africans affected by the HIV epidemic, they wanted over 6 million of those affected to be on treatment by December next year.
Mkhize added there were many young women, particularly under 14, having children and it was important that communities also assisted government in addressing this by providing the necessary guidance to young people as a lack of this left them susceptible to contracting HIV.
“What we have also discovered is that young girls contract HIV because of older men who prey on them. We need to fix that because it can’t be that young girls have this disease because of sugar daddies,” Mkhize said.
SOUTH Africa has entered into 49 bilateral investment treaties since 1994, but only 22 were ratified and tabled in Parliament.
This emerged yesterday when South African Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation Xavier Carim briefed the ad hoc committee mandated to consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow expropriation of land without compensation.
Carim said the bilateral investment treaties did not make specific reference to land, but they extended protection to asset-based investments.
“Bilateral investment treaties recognise the rights of host countries to expropriate foreign property but that is subject to requirements,” he said.
Thus, Carim said, lawful expropriation of foreign investment had to be taken on public purpose and on a non-discriminatory basis under due process of law and based on prompt and adequate compensation.
Carim also said, according to the Vienna Convention Treaty, a government could not invoke its internal laws, including the Constitution, as justification for not meeting the treaty’s obligation.
“This is an important consideration for the committee,” he said.