Why pussyfoot with health?

Until a year ago, social scientists, analysts, historians and the local peanut gallery had been formulating complete genealogies to understand HIV/Aids denialism in the highest office. Sociologists and anthropologists had fallen over one another in weaving theory between meta-theory, digging up Foucault, Spivak and Said in attempting to construct an Africanist approach to understanding vitamins, herbs and beetroot.

In Manto’s absence last year, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge entered with guns blazing, clearly demonstrating an impassioned aptitude and commitment to tackling the department’s shortfalls. She openly criticised our frazzled HIV/Aids policies, decisively condemned the infant mortality debacle at Frere Hospital and hinted at how essentially ineffective Manto really was.

And so, Madlala-Routledge was duly fired for being too awesome an individual and apparently not an awesome enough team player, and, of course, for embarking on an unauthorised trip for a conference in Spain.

Of course we all knew that she was bombed for caring a bit too much about transforming the health ministry.

Passion, as they say, can be infectious.

Needless to say, her dismissal was categorically hasty, inconclusive and quite blatantly tainted by allegiance politics.

With the exit of Mbeki and Manto as that denialist axis of evil, one would have thought that this was the perfect opportunity for the new government to usher in someone like Madlala-Routledge into the health portfolio; someone already well tuned to the task at hand in our most crucial portfolio (take a bow Trevor).

Instead one Barbara Hogan, who has mainly debited and credited finance portfolios since 1994, is appointed our new health minister.

Sure, Hogan has stood up as an MP against denialism, but does that now mean her moral compass is geared to run the entire health ministry?

Indeed, why wasn’t Madlala-Routledge nominated for a new leading role in the health ministry?

But again, this is not even about Madlala-Routledge.

For all we know, she might have been really bad at her work, eating too many Mars Bars on the job between flying her son to Nou Camp to watch soccer and sailing the French Riviera. Perhaps she had merely brought up HIV/Aids to tickle Manto and keep herself in high public esteem.

I don’t know her personally, she doesn’t pay my rent and I am no political groupie.

The point is, surely the health minister should have prior experience in the health sector as a former nurse, doctor or academic or policy maker?

The health ministry is a contentious space and Barbara’s appointment smacks of neutrality: no one can be offended politically by the choice. But surely the health portfolio requires a different type of seriousness and commitment rather than a polite stop-gap placement who might in all probability be replaced at elections next year?

And Manto?

Despite her embarrassing and pretty lower grade tenure as Health Minister, where she spent more time covering her soiled footsteps as the naked emperor than an esteemed public servant, Manto remained protected by Mbeki’s friendship and allegiance. Even her biggest allies would find it hard to invoke Manto success stories at cocktail parties.

Yet she swiftly moves into the presidency.

Now that Mbeki’s been kicked off the chariot, what bargaining chips does Manto and her seemingly important husband have on the current leadership that allows her to move into such a high office and almost wittingly keep an eye on our new president?