Manto ads causes a stir

Advertisements placed in a number of national newspapers on Friday by the health department defending its minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang were a waste of taxpayers' money, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said.

The party was responding to three-quarter page, full colour adverts placed in newspapers including the Business Day, The Star, The Cape Times and the Mercury.

The Business Day reported that such an advert comes at a cost of R70 000.

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BobbyMac said:

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20070921135524309C386508
I saw the one in the Business Day today, and to be honest it's quite funny the lengths the government will go through to defend it's monkeys.

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Now the taxpayer has forked out nearly R400000 this week in a bid to save the minister’s reputation .

In adverts published in various newspapers on Friday, the Department of Health attacked Judge Mohamed Jajbhay ’s ruling that it was in the public interest that the Sunday Times published a story on Tshabalala-Msimang’s boozy hospital stay in 2005 and that we could continue to comment on the content of her medical records.

The adverts made for some disturbing reading, especially since the content was penned by the department’s director-general and head of legal services, men who should know better.

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When we reported on the circumstances surrounding her liver operation and on the fact that she had a theft conviction, this newspaper was accused of having a nefarious “agenda”.

An agenda?

To reveal that this medical practitioner was once convicted of stealing from a patient who was under anaesthetic at the time is nefarious?

A negative agenda in revealing that the person in charge of our health system was consuming alcohol right up to the point of the liver transplant when she should have quit at least six months prior to the operation?

And then continuing to consume alcohol liberally on the new liver.

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In the obfuscation and hypocrisy that has characterised this saga, Tshabalala- Msimang has been painted as a poor victim of a vendetta. I use hypocrisy because any senior ANC and government official worth their salt knows that the Sunday Times merely scratched the surface of the scandal that is our Health Minister. They know about her early- morning liquid consumption patterns. Her (current) nimbleness with her fingers is legendary within ANC and government circles.

Tshabalala-Msimang’s colleagues know that she has wrecked the public health system and demoralised health workers with her uncaring attitude. It is known that in senior meetings, her colleagues roll their eyes and cringe when she opens her mouth and rambles incomprehensibly. It is no secret that ministers and officials try their best to work around her if they want to achieve something.

These are all well-known facts that cannot be refuted with honesty.

Yet she stays in office. Protected in her incompetence. South Africans suffer as a result.

And we in the media are expected to pretend that all is well. Unfortunately, it is not a conspiracy of silence that we would be comfortable joining.

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