Over the past several months, South African President Thabo Mbeki has been the center of controversy, questioning HIV as the cause of AIDS. Although he has not denounced the conventional view, he believes nothing should blindly be accepted as truth. Mbeki spoke numerous times with American biochemist Peter Duesber who believes that AIDS is caused by the combination of malnutrition and illegal drug use. While Duesberg has been outcast for his views in most American medical circles, Mbeki believes his hypothesis is a possibility worth exploring.

Many scientists are angered by Mbeki's desire to explore other possible causes of AIDS. They believe that the limited health resources available to South Africa should be utilized towards prevention and medical care, rather than questioning widely accepted medical theories. Mbeki has ignored these criticisms and actively pursued alternative theories.

On May 5, 2000, South Africa hosted an AIDS conference, attended by thirty researchers, to discuss alternative causes of AIDS. As the South African government attempts to rediscover the cause of AIDS, 1,700 citizens are infected daily.

Human rights organizations were concerned that such a well publicized event might undermine the national prevention programs. If citizens perceive the link of HIV and AIDS as questionable, they would have significantly less motivation to change their behavior.

Contributing to the controversy concerning the handling of the epidemic by the South African government is Mbeki's refusal to subsidize the cost of the drug azidiothymidine (AZT) to AIDS patients. AZT has been proven to slow the progression of AIDS. In addition, it can be taken by pregnant women infected with HIV to drastically reduce the chances of passing the disease to their children. Mbeki voiced concerns about the safety of the drug, a position which baffled many researchers. AZT has been used widely by AIDS patients throughout the world since its development in 1988.

However, even with the presidential endorsement of the drug, it is unlikely that many South Africans suffering from AIDS would have access to it. AZT treatment costs about $100, far too expensive for the majority of African AIDS patients. South Africa, along with most other African countries, can afford to spend no more than $10 a year per citizen on health care. It is estimated that supplying AZT to all the South African AIDS patients would cost more than $47 billion a year.

South Africa is the site of the World AIDS Conference in July of 2000, which complicates the situation further. Many researchers are refusing to attend, as a statement against Mbeki's handling of the epidemic. Others are demanding that the site of the conference be changed. Organizers are refusing to change the venue, however, stating that such action would detract from the purpose of the conference, to fight the disease itself.