Whilst I hear what Mbeki is saying and on some level I agree with him, the fact of the matter is that there should be NO orphans - AIDs or otherwise, that should be going hungry!
South African's pay enough taxes to ensure that all of these children are fed and clothed sufficiently.
I would like to challenge Government to stop corruption and theft from our TAX coffers and there will be more than enough to feed the masses!
Mbeki: no special treatment for Aids orphans
April 04 2007 at 12:15PM
Why should Aids orphans be given special treatment when other parentless children go hungry, President Thabo Mbeki asked traditional leaders in Pretoria on Tuesday. Mbeki also criticised donors for preferentially funding non-governmental organisations looking after children whose parents died of Aids while other orphans are being neglected.
He was reacting to a passionate plea from Inkosi Siphiwe Kunene, a member of the National House of Traditional Leaders that while Aids orphans were being fed at rural centres, other orphans were not being taken care of. Mbeki said this was wrong.
'An orphan is an orphan'
"An orphan is an orphan. You cannot say (these orphans) are special because their parents died from Aids and therefore they require (special treatment). An orphan whose parents died in a car accident is an orphan. We have to respond to the conditions of these children who lost their parents and it is quite incorrect that we should respond to them and say these are special orphans because of Aids."We can't have a situation where there are five hungry children and you take two and go and feed them and leave the other three. It can't be right," Mbeki said.
He was at a debate of traditional leaders in Pretoria. Kunene said there were drop-in centres in villages, specifically to feed Aids orphans. He told a story of five children living in the same house. two of them are Aids orphans who are fed at these centres but the other three go hungry. - Daily News Correspondent
This article was originally published on page 1 of Daily News on April 04, 2007
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