Some members of the Portfolio Committee on Health have expressed anger after both Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and his Deputy Dr Joe Phaahla failed to appear before it, to discuss the shortage of Antiretroviral drugs among other things.
The Department’s Director General Dr Thembisile Xulu is also absent reportedly due to prior planned engagements overseas.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Naledi Chirwa-Mpungose says the absence of the two political heads shows disregard to the work of Parliament.
“To just leave on that all three of them are not in the meeting I think it’s going to be a problem. It’s going to set a wrong precedence going forward. If the two of them could honour a SADC meeting, they could have sent one of them to come to the meeting because they are constitutionally obliged to come and account to Parliament. So, it’s a problem that none of them…and it must just be registered that we are having a serious problem with this particular thing especially ARVs. Minister Motsoeledi there is many things that are happening. It’s not just this one thing of shortages. ARV [shortages] are a catastrophic crisis.”