Mzansi parties plead with Trump!

MZANSI political parties plead with the United States government to reconsider its decision.

The move involves pausing over $400 million in life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs.

It is reported that Trump's administration issued an executive order suspending all foreign development assistance for the supply of life-saving drugs for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as medical supplies for newborn babies, in countries supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) including South Africa for 90 days.

According to Reuters, on Tuesday, 28 January, contractors and partners who work with USAID began receiving such memos to stop work immediately.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), as part of South Africa's Government of National Unity, calls on the United States government to urgently restore the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) funding for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

DA MP Emma Louise Powell said the immediate cessation of Pepfar funding has resulted in the sudden suspension of critical health support services at NGOs across the nation, on which millions of vulnerable South Africans rely.

"In 2024, South Africa benefited from $453 million in direct funding, with roughly $439 million allocated for 2025. This funding is critical to sustain life-saving treatment for South Africans, as well as support services for babies and orphans," she said.

She pointed out that according to Statistics South Africa, in 2024, the estimated national HIV prevalence rate was 12.7%, with around 8 million people living with the virus.

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"Pepfar has played a transformative role in South Africa's fight against HIV/AIDS since 2003, saving millions of lives and bolstering the country's public health infrastructure," said Powell.

She urged the US government to recognise that every dollar spent on global health initiatives, such as Pepfar, directly strengthens international security and bolsters America's global influence.

She stated that a sudden cessation of this magnitude may ultimately compromise US national interests in the region.

Build One South Africa (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane said his party will formally petition Trump through his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to reverse this decision and reaffirm the United States' commitment to global health and humanitarian assistance.

"South Africa is home to the largest HIV epidemic in the world, with over 8 million people living with HIV. Pepfar funding has been instrumental in providing life-saving antiretroviral treatment, preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and supporting community-based healthcare systems that are the backbone of the country's HIV/AIDS response," he said.

Maimane said the decision threatens to undermine critical efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, which continues to pose a significant health challenge in South Africa and across the African continent.

"This decision is a betrayal of the shared values of compassion and partnership between our nations.

"HIV/AIDS is not just a health issue; it is a social justice issue that affects the most vulnerable among us. A pause in funding will have devastating consequences for millions of South Africans who rely on these programmes for survival," he said.

The Gender and Sexuality Alliance in Buffalo City Buffalo City, Eastern Cape, said for LGBTQIA+ people in the province, this order exacerbates the already daunting realities of living in a society rife with discrimination.

The organisations stressed that access to life-saving healthcare services, including hormone therapy for transgender individuals and essential HIV prevention and treatment, is now severely compromised.

"These services are not mere privileges; they are fundamental human rights. Denying access to them is a flagrant violation of international human rights standards and reinforces the systemic inequalities we are committed to dismantling," the organisation said.

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said he was baffled by Trump's cutting of foreign aid.

"We have been fighting the scourge of HIV and malaria together for more than 20 years as a global community and depending a lot on global funding," Motsoaledi said. "But on the South African side, as you know, we are running the world's biggest HIV counselling and testing campaigns," he was quoted in the IOL.