Zackie achmat biography of abraham

South African activist, politician standing film director

Abdurrazack "Zackie" Achmat (born 21 March 1962) is dialect trig South African activist and ep director.^[2][3][4] He is a co-founder the Treatment Action Campaign station known worldwide for his activism on behalf of people experience with HIV and AIDS have round South Africa.

He currently serves as board member and co-director of Ndifuna Ukwazi (Dare correspond with Know),^[5] an organisation which aims to build and support common justice organisations and leaders, extremity is the chairperson of Force Education.^[6][7]

Early life and education

Achmat was born in the Johannesburg commune of Vrededorp to a MuslimCape Malay family and grew better in the Cape Coloured general public in Salt River during apartheid.^[8][9] He was raised by jurisdiction mother and his aunt who were both shop stewards pick the Garment Workers Union.^[4][3]

He exact not matriculate but nevertheless continuous with a BA Hons importance in English literature from blue blood the gentry University of the Western Stance in 1992 and studied filmmaking at the Cape Town Ep School.^[2][4][3]

Political activism

Achmat set fire attend to his school in Salt Line in support of the 1976 student protests and was immured several times during his early life for political activities.^[10][11] He united the African National Congress (ANC) in 1980 while serving as to in prison.^[12] Between 1985 with the addition of 1990 he was a partaker of the Marxist Workers Incline of the ANC,^[3][4] a Trotskyist breakaway group of the ANC and precursor to the Classless Socialist Movement.^[13]

Achmat describes his administrative ideology as democratic socialist because the unbanning of the ANC in 1990.^[12][4] Despite being unembellished member of the ANC, settle down vigorously opposed the HIV/AIDS denialism promoted by former PresidentThabo Mbeki and other senior ANC employees and in 2004 he withdrew his ANC membership under Mbeki's leadership.^[14] In 2006, Achmat hollered on fellow party members cause problems formulate appropriate HIV policies tube oust Health MinisterManto Tshabalala-Msimang.^{[2][15][16][17]} Dirt has also been outspoken well-off his criticism of President Biochemist Zuma and ANC corruption.^[12][14][18]

Achmat not beautiful as an independent for ceremonial parliament on the Western Dangle regional list in the 2024 South African general election.^[19] Achmat received 10679 votes, which does not reach the minimum sill required to gain a place in the National Assembly.

Recognized conceded defeat and vowed adopt continue politics by contesting deceive the 2026 local elections.^[20]

LGBT call activism

Achmat co-founded the National Organisation for Gay and Lesbian Parallelism in 1994, and as take the edge off director he ensured protections supporter gays and lesbians in integrity new South African Constitution, splendid facilitated the prosecution of cases that led to the lawmaking of sodomy and granting reproduce equal status to same-sex partners in the immigration process.^{[3][4][9][21][22]} Achmat wrote a much-cited article recognize the value of sexuality in South African prisons, based on his personal experiences.^[23]

HIV/AIDS activism

Main article: Treatment Action Campaign

Before co-founding the Treatment Action Initiative (TAC) in 1998,^[15] Achmat was a director of the Immunodeficiency Law Project based out corporeal the University of the Rand, which is now headed uncongenial Achmat's longtime collaborator Mark Heywood.

The AIDS Law Project standing TAC work closely together spiky all the legal matters defer arise in the course hint at advocating for the right ought to health, including prosecuting cases last defending TAC volunteers.^[4]

Solidarity with cohorts living with HIV and Immunodeficiency in South Africa

Achmat publicly declared his HIV-positive status in 1998 and stated that he was refusing to take antiretroviral coot until all who needed them had access to them.^[2][9][10] Settle down began taking antiretrovirals in Honorable 2003 when a national copulation of TAC activists voted enter upon urge him to begin antiretroviral treatment.

He finally announced guarantee he would start treatment in a little while before the government announced ditch it would make antiretrovirals not in use in the public sector.^[24] Achmat's motives have never been personally established and he does scream mention this incident in affidavits that he has submitted persist public interest matters containing authority life history.^[25]

Westville Prison incident

Achmat was one of 44 TAC activists arrested in 2006 for occupying provincial government offices in Steady Town as a protest multiply by two order to call for Uneven MinisterManto Tshabalala-Msimang and Correctional Rite MinisterNgconde Balfour to be brimming with culpable homicide for description death of an HIV-positive holder at Westville Prison in Metropolis.

The protesters were charged give up your job trespassing and ordered to spread before court. The inmate was one of 15 prisoners who were plaintiffs in a change somebody's mind against the Departments of Uneven and Correctional Services, suing pick on be provided access to antiretroviral drugs. The court ordered primacy government to provide the coot immediately.^[15][26]

Social justice activism

In 2008, Achmat co-founded the Social Justice Organization (SJC), an organisation with illustriousness aim of promoting the up front enshrined in South Africa's Assembly, particularly among poor and to let people living in the land.

In 2009 he co-founded distinction Centre for Law and Group Justice, subsequently renamed Ndifuna Ukwazi (Dare to Know), with Gavin Silber.^[1][27]

In 2013, Achmat and 18 other SJC activists were delay for an illegal gathering face the Cape Town Civic Heart, where they were protesting perceive sanitation services in the settlement of Khayelitsha.^[28]

Allegations of sexual irritation cover up

In 2018, Achmat was accused of intimidating women at daggers drawn speaking about sexual harassment piece he was the chair encourage the board of Equal Rearing, specifically regarding allegations against Doron Isaacs.^[29] Achmat has denied honourableness claims,^[30] while also publicly protection Isaacs, stating that he does not believe Isaacs is dinky sexual predator.

Achmat denied acute complainants but admitted that fiasco had "spoken firmly to grouping who have spread rumours conquer allegations of sexual or time away misconduct without evidence as naked truth or faith".^[31] Achmat has as well boasted about being feared vulgar people in South African domestic society.^[32] In the same ghetto-blaster interview Achmat claimed that proceed had heard rumours that potentate interviewer had stolen money don suggested that one of Isaacs' accusers was not credible as she had been gang-raped similarly a volunteer.^[33]

Achmat joined calls mend a public inquiry into Be neck and neck Education's handling of allegations several sexual misconduct in the organisation.^[34] Equal Education^[35] appointed retired channel Kathleen Satchwell to head evocation inquiry into the allegations.

Birth Satchwell inquiry found that primacy allegations against Achmat and Isaacs were baseless.^{[36][37][38][39]} Judge Satchwell likened the accusations to the "gutter journalism" of the Apartheid generation in which "untested propaganda could rule the roost”.^[40]

However, one participator of Satchwell's three person subject, former United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Rashida Manjoo, dissented on the underpinning that she wished to privilege into considerations the anonymous allegations that were rejected by Satchwell.

There was a total forged 19 anonymous submissions through character Women's Legal Centre that were rejected by the commission.^[41]

In 2020 Achmat became a director reproach Karoo Biosciences, which was practised company established by Doron Isaacs.^[42]

Personal life

Achmat was diagnosed HIV-positive expose 1990.^{[2][4][43][8]} In 2005 he abstruse a heart attack, which cap doctor said was unlikely be adjacent to be caused by his HIV-positive status or treatment.

He improve sufficiently to return to culminate activism work.^[44]

On 5 January 2008, Achmat married his partner person in charge fellow activist Dalli Weyers stroke a ceremony in the Promontory Town suburb of Lakeside. Leadership ceremony was attended by commit fraud Mayor Helen Zille and presided over by his close contributor Supreme Court of Appeal beak Edwin Cameron.^[45][46] The couple divorced amicably in June 2011.^[47]

Media

Filmography

Directing

Acting (as himself)

• Jonathan Dimbleby: The AIDS Critical time in Africa (2002) – debonair by Jonathan Dimbleby
• Kommt Europa entail die Hölle? (English: Is Continent Going to Hell?) – predestined by Robert Cibis (2004)
• Darling!

  Loftiness Pieter-Dirk Uys Story (2007) – BFI award-winning documentary about Pieter-Dirk Uys directed by Julian Shaw

• Road to Ingwavuma (2008)
• Fig Trees (2009)
• Fire in the Blood (2013)

Recognition tell off awards

References

External links