I don't often post about current affairs. I'm usually a "God doesn't hate fags" or "all things fabulous and frivolous" kinda guy, but Manto's death really got me thinking.
I was at Moyo yesterday, sipping on a daiquiri (as one does at Moyo) looking at all the people eating meat and thinking they really shouldn't because of all the methane.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnyyywayyyyy....
While sipping on the daiquiri I popped onto Twitter and saw the first tweet announcing the then-unconfirmed death of our former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. She has a rather "mixed legacy" (the term the media have cottoned onto) and is probably one of the most unpopular ministers we've ever had (no, people, Malema is not a minister). Her view and lack of real response to AIDS and HIV in a country needing real action were archaic, uneducated at best and, some might say, can be equated to a form of genocide.
So it seems natural that her death receive an emotional response - especially one expressing the anger at her inefficiency and, shall we say, stupidity. Gareth Cliff, a popular 5FM dj, is one of the most followed South Africans on Twitter and his response was met with agreement and horror. He said, "Manto is dead. Good. A selfish and wicked bungler of the lowest order. Rotten attitude and rancid livers - all three of them."
He sent a later tweet acknowledging the flack he got for the response, some of which I saw in my feed. At the same time I saw many agreeing with him. And, of course, the jokes started.
On the other hand, there are many who have a different response to her. Some claim her utterings on AIDS were misunderstood and some just say that she said what she did to support the President at the time (HIV doesn't cause AIDS, remember). They remember her as a stalwart of the struggle - a woman who fought hard for equal rights, especially for women.
A mixed legacy.
I'll be forthright and say that I had little respect for her as health minister, but I choose not to hurl insults at her in her death. I chose the same when Jackson died (and found the jokes about his potential paedophilia in heaven disgusting). While I have no respect for what I knew of her public profile, I will not insult her out of respect for those who loved her. I might not respect a person who dies but I respect loss. And I respect a family's need to grieve, whether I liked the person or not. So I choose to pay respect to those I don't know, who are sad to lose their mom, their granny and their friend.
I think that's how we should treat death. With respect. Insults are cheap when the person can't respond. Let's rather reflect on how to make sure our leaders don't repeat what she did and was allowed to do. But in death, no matter who's it is, show some class.
11 comments:
I agree, I think it's wrong to insult her as a person. However, I will still be critical (and insult)her POLICIES. I think AIDS denialsm and her kookie attitude towards proper medication killed thousands of people.
However, I agree with you, as flawed as her policies may have been, you don't have to insult her personally.
You should read this post - far better written than mine - and an interesting take on her...
http://bit.ly/4FsgMb
Absolutely agree. Well written Clive. Caio! Lisa.
Couldn't agree with you more! There are enough idiots alive to make fun of, let the dead rest in peace.
Im with Tersia, well written of course and as usual.
PS Have missed you around
I've got to disagree and sorry it's at such length, but:
We think nothing of insulting evil men like Hitler, Idi Amin and Nero. Whilst Manto didn't give the orders to murder anyone, she did give the orders NOT to save their lives. I don't see a difference. She swore oaths to save lives and protect people. Twice. She knowingly and willingly ... See Moreaccepted the responsibilities and benefits that came with her positions as a doctor and as the Minister of Health. She then authorised or failed to act upon the blocking of life-saving drugs because she and the government did not feel the lives of the dying were worth the trivial amount of money it would have cost to save them. Respect is earned, not automatically conferred simply because you have died. Her death does not absolve her of her guilt. She is guilty of ignoring or even encouraging the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the suffering of their families entirely unnecessarily. So what if she was no longer minister of health when she died? She never once recanted her statements or bothered to apologise to the millions of people whose lives were ruined on her watch, however insignificant that apology would have been to a widow or orphan. She was a useless, unapologetically arrogant and heartless woman who must have known the consequences of her decision. Her death changes nothing for the dead and their families but her legacy should never be forgiven and certainly shouldn't be protected from parody and insult.
As for her alcoholism, that was personal and didn't deserve to be made joked about. We all have our faults in our private lives and who knows what she saw and suffered in her life that led her to seek to escape in alcohol. But if she did in fact jump the queue for a transplant...
Thanks Lisa, Tertia and Joanne...
Angus - great response... and part of me agrees with you. I think using her death to reflect on the agony of her decisions is wise. It's appropriate to be re-angered by the idiocy of the politics around the AIDS thing... and a good time to make a resolve to do more to ensure that more is done to assist those with the disease and help prevent it.
Saying "Manto is dead. Good riddance." is different. It's valueless.
Insult her policies. Be enraged by the lack of action. But let's be mature in how we respond. As one blogger on Thought Leader said - the day we should have celebrated was the day she lost her job, not the day she died.
Wow - youre back - thank goodness!!!
I think your approach is graceful. She was someones mother, sonmeones friend, someones confidant. I guarentee you though the tasteless emails and jokes will start.
On a totally separate and selfish note - i want some advice on moving to cape town. As someone whos seen both sides i have a lot of questions!
Oh - and the boy in question was a washout. I am meeting him today to get my SATC dvds back!
What a way to end the year!!! Gym beckons :(
I agree with you....
I totally agree. I could not believe that people were "celebrating" her death - or would celebrate anyones death for that matter.
I do not know enough about her to have an opinion, but when ever anyone dies I feel for their families and thier loss.
Great post Clive. You're right, despite her hugely questionable views and work blunders, she was a person and her death deserves to be treated with dignity.
It's a tough one that, especially for someone like me, working in the field of HIV.
Everyone deserves grace though.
xx
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