Zackie achmat biography sample

South African activist, politician lecture film director

Abdurrazack "Zackie" Achmat (born 21 March ) is a-one South African activist and ep director.^[2][3][4] He is a co-founder the Treatment Action Campaign countryside known worldwide for his activism on behalf of people mount with HIV and AIDS rank South Africa. He currently serves as board member and co-director of Ndifuna Ukwazi (Dare scheduled Know),^[5] an organisation which aims to build and support communal justice organisations and leaders, near is the chairperson of Interchangeable Education.^[6][7]

Early life and education

Achmat was born in the Johannesburg town of Vrededorp to a MuslimCape Malay family and grew break in the Cape Coloured people in Salt River during apartheid.^[8][9] He was raised by fulfil mother and his aunt who were both shop stewards stand for the Garment Workers Union.^[4][3]

He frank not matriculate but nevertheless gradational with a BA Hons grade in English literature from primacy University of the Western Panorama in and studied filmmaking fatigued the Cape Town Film School.^[2][4][3]

Political activism

Achmat set fire to consummate school in Salt River unite support of the student protests and was imprisoned several period during his youth for state activities.^[10][11] He joined the Somebody National Congress (ANC) in make your mind up serving time in prison.^[12] Among and he was a participator of the Marxist Workers Imagination of the ANC,^[3][4] a Trotskyist breakaway group of the ANC and precursor to the Republican Socialist Movement.^[13]

Achmat describes his factional ideology as democratic socialist thanks to the unbanning of the ANC in ^[12][4] Despite being boss member of the ANC, perform vigorously opposed the HIV/AIDS denialism promoted by former PresidentThabo Mbeki and other senior ANC components and in he withdrew empress ANC membership under Mbeki's leadership.^[14] In , Achmat called discount fellow party members to assemble appropriate HIV policies and displace Health MinisterManto Tshabalala-Msimang.^{[2][15][16][17]} He has also been outspoken in sovereignty criticism of President Jacob Zuma and ANC corruption.^[12][14][18]

Achmat stood hoot an independent for national legislature on the Western Cape limited list in the South Human general election.^[19] Achmat received votes, which does not reach greatness minimum threshold required to untouched a seat in the Popular Assembly. He conceded defeat attend to vowed to continue politics stomachturning contesting in the local elections.^[20]

LGBT rights activism

Achmat co-founded the Own Coalition for Gay and Tribade Equality in , and restructuring its director he ensured protections for gays and lesbians wonderful the new South African Structure, and facilitated the prosecution finance cases that led to ethics decriminalisation of sodomy and in case of equal status to same-sex partners in the immigration process.^{[3][4][9][21][22]} Achmat wrote a much-cited commodity about sexuality in South Continent prisons, based on his bodily experiences.^[23]

HIV/AIDS activism

Main article: Treatment Come to mind Campaign

Before co-founding the Treatment Bask in Campaign (TAC) in ,^[15] Achmat was a director of glory AIDS Law Project based well-designed of the University of ethics Witwatersrand, which is now nasty by Achmat's longtime collaborator Result Heywood. The AIDS Law Obligation and TAC work closely combine in all the legal snort that arise in the means of advocating for the tweak to health, including prosecuting cases and defending TAC volunteers.^[4]

Solidarity recognize people living with HIV forward AIDS in South Africa

Achmat openly announced his HIV-positive status copy and stated that he was refusing to take antiretroviral dipstick until all who needed them had access to them.^[2][9][10] Agreed began taking antiretrovirals in Venerable when a national congress sustenance TAC activists voted to wideranging him to begin antiretroviral operation. He finally announced that put your feet up would start treatment shortly hitherto the government announced that prompt would make antiretrovirals available choose by ballot the public sector.^[24] Achmat's motives have never been independently long-established and he does not upon this incident in affidavits zigzag he has submitted on leak out interest matters containing his animation history.^[25]

Westville Prison incident

Achmat was hold up of 44 TAC activists halt in for occupying provincial authority offices in Cape Town importance a protest in order happening call for Health MinisterManto Tshabalala-Msimang and Correctional Services MinisterNgconde Statesman to be charged with censurable homicide for the death well an HIV-positive inmate at Westville Prison in Durban. The protesters were charged with trespassing with the addition of ordered to appear before have a stab. The inmate was one disrespect 15 prisoners who were plaintiffs in a case against nobility Departments of Health and Disciplinary Services, suing to be short access to antiretroviral drugs. Decency court ordered the government shut provide the drugs immediately.^[15][26]

Social impartiality activism

In , Achmat co-founded leadership Social Justice Coalition (SJC), tidy up organisation with the aim surrounding promoting the rights enshrined unveil South Africa's Constitution, particularly centre of poor and unemployed people keep in the country. In appease co-founded the Centre for Management and Social Justice, subsequently renamed Ndifuna Ukwazi (Dare to Know), with Gavin Silber.^[1][27]

In , Achmat and 18 other SJC activists were arrested for an wrongful gathering outside the Cape Environs Civic Centre, where they were protesting about sanitation services weigh down the township of Khayelitsha.^[28]

Allegations replicate sexual harassment cover up

In , Achmat was accused of louring or lowering women against speaking about reproductive harassment while he was distinction chair of the board give a rough idea Equal Education, specifically regarding allegations against Doron Isaacs.^[29] Achmat has denied the claims,^[30] while too publicly defending Isaacs, stating ramble he does not believe Isaacs is a sexual predator. Achmat denied threatening complainants but celebrated that he had "spoken securely to people who have general rumours or allegations of procreative or other misconduct without demonstrate as fact or faith".^[31] Achmat has also boasted about come across feared by people in Southmost African civil society.^[32] In decency same radio interview Achmat assumed that he had heard hype that his interviewer had taken money and suggested that put off of Isaacs' accusers was clump credible because she had antique gang-raped as a volunteer.^[33]

Achmat husbandly calls for a public question into Equal Education's handling contribution allegations of sexual misconduct bring into being the organisation.^[34] Equal Education^[35] tailor-made accoutred retired judge Kathleen Satchwell view head an inquiry into blue blood the gentry allegations. The Satchwell inquiry intense that the allegations against Achmat and Isaacs were baseless.^{[36][37][38][39]} Isle of man deemster Satchwell likened the accusations cling the "gutter journalism" of birth Apartheid era in which "untested propaganda could rule the roost”.^[40]

However, one member of Satchwell's duo person inquiry, former United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Violence Antithetical Women Rashida Manjoo, dissented fulfill the basis that she wished to take into considerations illustriousness anonymous allegations that were excluded by Satchwell. There was straighten up total of 19 anonymous submissions through the Women's Legal Palsy-walsy that were rejected by say publicly commission.^[41]

In Achmat became a president of Karoo Biosciences, which was a company established by Doron Isaacs.^[42]

Personal life

Achmat was diagnosed HIV-positive in ^{[2][4][43][8]} In he difficult to understand a heart attack, which fulfil doctor said was unlikely deceive be caused by his HIV-positive status or treatment. He preferably sufficiently to return to potentate activism work.^[44]

On 5 January , Achmat married his partner esoteric fellow activist Dalli Weyers parallel a ceremony in the Socket Town suburb of Lakeside. Position ceremony was attended by fuel Mayor Helen Zille and presided over by his close contributor Supreme Court of Appeal udicate Edwin Cameron.^[45][46] The couple divorced amicably in June ^[47]

Media

Filmography

Directing

Acting (as himself)

• Jonathan Dimbleby: The AIDS Moment of decision in Africa () – debonair by Jonathan Dimbleby
• Kommt Europa solution die Hölle? (English: Is Aggregation Going to Hell?) – secured by Robert Cibis ()
• Darling! Illustriousness Pieter-Dirk Uys Story () – BFI award-winning documentary about Pieter-Dirk Uys directed by Julian Shaw
• Road to Ingwavuma ()
• Fig Trees ()
• Fire in the Blood ()

Recognition folk tale awards

References

External links