South Africa HIV-row minister Msimang dies

South Africa's controversial ex-Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, 69, has died, her doctor has confirmed.

During her nine years heading the health ministry she became known as "Dr Beetroot" for her advocacy of healthy eating rather than drugs to fight HIV.

She said that anti-retrovirals were too expensive and warned of possible harmful side-effects.

She was removed from the health portfolio after Thabo Mbeki resigned as president last year.

Mr Mbeki's critics accused him of causing about 300,000 deaths by not rolling out ARVs to people with HIV quickly enough.

Some 5.2m South Africans have HIV - the highest number of people living with the virus in one country in the world.

Dr Tshabalala-Msimang recommended olive oil, lemon, beetroot and the African potato as elements of a healthy diet that could treat the symptoms associated with Aids.

Her doctor told the South African Press Association that she had died from complications related to her liver transplant in 2007.

Earlier this month, current President Jacob Zuma announced an overhaul of the government's HIV policy.

He said drugs would be available more widely to children and pregnant women instead of just those whose immunity levels have been significantly reduced by HIV, as has recently been the case.

BBC Online, Dec. 16th, 2009