| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The TAC's notoriety and success is in no small part due to the dynamism of Achmat. Achmat publicly refused to take Aids medications until all who needed them had access to them, which drew former President Nelson Mandela to plead with Achamt at his home to begin drug therapy. Achmat respectfully refused Mr Mandela, and held firm in his pledge until September 2003, when the government announced the massive shift in policy the TAC had been advocating.
A former anti-apartheid and gay rights activist, Achmat was skillful in marshalling the support of existing activist networks and mobilizing a grassroots memberships to work in the community level, as well as tapping classic anti-apartheid tactics such as civil disobedience.
Achmat grew up among the "Coloured" community in Cape Town during apartheid. At the age of 14, he set fire to his school to force the students to boycott classes. He was an active member of the ANC in his youth and early adulthood, and continues to hold membership despite dissenting from its woeful policies towards HIV treatment.
In 2004 he was voted 61st in the Top 100 Great South Africans ( see List of South Africans)