S. Africa health official's firing blasted

PRETORIA, South Africa, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The firing of South Africa's deputy health minister after she attended an AIDS conference in Spain has been sharply criticized by AIDS activists.

It is believed that President Thabo Mbeki, who has not given an official reason for the firing, sacked Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge after she traveled to Spain for the conference without authorization from the president, the BBC reported Thursday.

"This is a dreadful error of judgment that will harm public healthcare," the Treatment Action Campaign said in a statement.

The statement said the firing is a blow to anti-AIDS efforts in the country, which has the highest population of HIV positive citizens in the world.

"It indicates that the president still remains opposed to the science of HIV and to appropriately responding to the (pandemic)," a TAC statement said.

Opposition politicians also criticized the firing.

"Ms. Madlala-Routledge brought hard work, a love for freedom of expression and the ability to admit mistakes to the ANC government and she has been rewarded in such an outrageous way that a dark cloud will hang over our country tomorrow," Independent Democrats leader Patricia De Lille said.