South African health minister sacked

From the BBC:

Aids activists and opposition parties have criticised the sacking of South Africa's deputy health minister, after she went to a Spanish Aids conference.

"This is a dreadful error of judgement that will harm public healthcare," said the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).

It is believed that President Thabo Mbeki did not authorise Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge's trip to Spain.

She has previously clashed with her boss, the controversial Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

Dr Tshabalala-Msimang is known as Dr Beetroot after urging those with HIV to eat beetroot and garlic, while the government has been condemned for not providing enough anti-retroviral drugs.

Some 5.5m South Africans are HIV-positive - more than in any other country.

Sacking a minister for going to an AIDS conference - hilarious. Only in South Africa...