Premier Helen Zille's muddled reply to our article is full of rhetoric and fist-banging, but it fails to respond, except angrily, to our considered and respectfully made points. Instead she sees fit to suggest that we have "vested interests" and that we are "politically correct" (whatever that tired term means). She ascribes views to us that we don't hold and implies we disagree with her on some issues which we actually agree upon.
Most astonishingly, the Premier claims that our response was characterized by "distortion and manipulation":
"The article focuses almost entirely on rebutting a statement I never made. It invents a position, falsely ascribes it to me - and then seeks to challenge it." ... "It is totally ludicrous to say that I suggested withdrawing treatment from those who contract AIDS "irresponsibly". How would one know? I have never suggested that the public health system stop treating any person (let alone category of people) with HIV."
Below are some of Premier's public comments made on the DA website, in the media, and on her personal Twitter account. We leave it to readers to decide if she is being truthful and whether this is appropriate behavior for the head of the Western Cape government and the leader of the opposition.
SA Today Newsletter (6 November 2011)
Speaking about the State's HIV/AIDS policy, Zille claimed that "Our response has largely had the effect of fuelling further denial and dependency by absolving rational (usually male) adults from the responsibility of changing their behaviour. Taxpayers must foot the bill without asking any politically-incorrect questions. Enough already! Especially when one confronts the under-funding of so many treatable health conditions."