Costa Gazi

Costa Gazi (23 July 1936 – 19 March 2025) be South African anti-apartheid activist wey dey work underground for de South African Communist Party (SACP) plus later join de Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), both of dem na illegal organisations for dat time. After apartheid end, e work as head of public health for Cecilia Makewane Hospital for Mdantsane, East London, South Africa. For there, e criticize de ruling African National Congress (ANC) demma policies, especially de AIDS denialism wey former President Thabo Mbeki push. Gazi die on 19 March 2025, wey be ein 88 years.

 Early life den education 
Gazi ein family, wey be Greek people, dey run one small shop or "café" for Krugersdorp, where e dey work as small boy. As star student for Krugersdorp High School, e enter University of the Witwatersrand at age 16 to study civil engineering, but later e change go medical degree. After e read de then-illegal The Communist Manifesto plus how de Sharpeville massacre radicalize am, e join de Congress of Democrats plus de underground South African Communist Party.

 Exile, move to de PAC, den post-apartheid role 
Dem jail Gazi insyd 1964, plus dem ban am from political activity insyd 1966. Insyd 1968, e comot go abroad to continue ein studies, then e lef de SACP sake of say dem support how de Union of Soviet Socialist Republics take crush de Prague Spring dat same year. E join de PAC after dat move — dis be rare move, sake of say PAC no really get white members, plus dem get reputation as violently anti-white party.

Gazi come back South Africa insyd 1990, then e stand as PAC candidate insyd de 1994 elections, but e no win. After apartheid, e become popular for wrong reasons — one PAC rally member stab am sake of say e be white. After dat, e disobey government order wey ban de use of anti-retroviral medicine. Dat time, e be PAC ein public health secretary. Because of dis, Eastern Cape provincial health department bring disciplinary charges against am, but most of dem charges dem later throw away for court.

 Cecilia Makiwane Hospital 
Gazi be specialist doctor wey from 1992 e take charge of de Department of Community Medicine, plus e take active role for Primary Health Care work for Mdantsane. Every day, ein department dey send two doctors go de rural clinics. E dey actively push make dem give Anti Retro Virals (ARVs) to people wey get AIDS. Dr. Gazi take on de government media for de way dem mislead de nation, as dem no allow ARVs to dey circulate properly for South Africa. E take ein own money support ARV treatment for pregnant HIV-positive women wey dey Cecilia Makiwane Hospital. Nowadays, HIV wey ARV dey manage well be diagnosis wey doctors prefer, as e dey easier to handle, e dey respond well to medicine, and e no too dangerous like cancer, hypertension or diabetes. Dr. Gazi be pioneer insyd South Africa wey bring ARVs come for prophylaxis against rape and sexual assault, plus e help people wey get AIDS live better life. E too stand strong behind South African Foreign Qualified Doctors wey till now dem no dey treat like dem colleagues wey train insyd South African universities. Dis policy come from de Health Professions Council of South Africa, wey still dey hold foreign doctors back—even some wey don dey work for over twenty years inside de country. Even though South Africa sign commonwealth agreement, dem still no dey follow de commonwealth rules proper.

 References 

Category:1936 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:South African people
Category:Human
Category:South African people of Greek descent
Category:University of the Witwatersrand alumni
Category:White South African anti-apartheid activists
Category:South African anti-apartheid activists
Category:South African Communist Party politicians
Category:Pan Africanist Congress of Azania politicians