Nozipho Bhengu
Encyclopedia
Nozipho Bhengu was a South Africa
n woman whose death from an AIDS
-related illness intensified the controversy about how AIDS is treated in South Africa. Nozipho was well known in South Africa for her openness about her illness as well as her refusal to take conventional medical treatment for AIDS in favour of alternative and controversial natural treatment.
Diagnosed as HIV positive in 1998, Nozipho Bhengu underwent treatment using antiretroviral drug
s until 2001. At that point she was persuaded by health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
and nutritionalist Tine van der Maas
that standard pharmaceutical drugs have dangerous side effects and it would be more beneficial to her condition to try a controversial lemon and garlic diet. The health minister was quoted in saying "I do not know of any side effects of eating proper food".
Bhengu's mother, Ruth Bhengu, as an African National Congress
legislator spoke of her daughter's beliefs in a speech in Parliament. After the speech Nozipho Bhengu's efforts to treat her illness became common knowledge in South Africa.
Bhengu died on the 19th of May, 2006. At the time of her death she was working on a book, From Victim to Victor, which detailed her experience that was left unfinished. At her passing Treatment Action Campaign
, a prominent AIDS advocacy group in South Africa, praised her openness about her illness while at the same time calling her death "unnecessary".
Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was invited to her funeral on 24 May. She had a prior engagement but sent a representative who was subsequently harassed by some of the funeral's attendees as she attempted to speak from the podium at the service.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n woman whose death from an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related illness intensified the controversy about how AIDS is treated in South Africa. Nozipho was well known in South Africa for her openness about her illness as well as her refusal to take conventional medical treatment for AIDS in favour of alternative and controversial natural treatment.
Diagnosed as HIV positive in 1998, Nozipho Bhengu underwent treatment using antiretroviral drug
Antiretroviral drug
Antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. When several such drugs, typically three or four, are taken in combination, the approach is known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, or HAART...
s until 2001. At that point she was persuaded by health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Dr. Mantombazana 'Manto' Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang was a South African politician. She was Deputy Minister of Justice from 1996 to 1999 and controversially served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2008 under President Thabo Mbeki...
and nutritionalist Tine van der Maas
Tine van der Maas
Tine van der Maas is a nutritionist in South Africa. She's best known for her natural treatment of AIDS and related diseases with a lemon mixture, garlic and beetroot. A prominent "patient" of hers, Nozipho Bhengu, died in 2006 from an AIDS-related illness after being persuaded to stop taking...
that standard pharmaceutical drugs have dangerous side effects and it would be more beneficial to her condition to try a controversial lemon and garlic diet. The health minister was quoted in saying "I do not know of any side effects of eating proper food".
Bhengu's mother, Ruth Bhengu, as an African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
legislator spoke of her daughter's beliefs in a speech in Parliament. After the speech Nozipho Bhengu's efforts to treat her illness became common knowledge in South Africa.
Bhengu died on the 19th of May, 2006. At the time of her death she was working on a book, From Victim to Victor, which detailed her experience that was left unfinished. At her passing Treatment Action Campaign
Treatment Action Campaign
The Treatment Action Campaign is a South African AIDS activist organization which was founded by the HIV-positive activist Zackie Achmat in 1998. TAC is rooted in the experiences, direct action tactics and anti-apartheid background of its founder...
, a prominent AIDS advocacy group in South Africa, praised her openness about her illness while at the same time calling her death "unnecessary".
Manto Tshabalala-Msimang was invited to her funeral on 24 May. She had a prior engagement but sent a representative who was subsequently harassed by some of the funeral's attendees as she attempted to speak from the podium at the service.