1940
9 October, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is born in Durban, KwaZulu Natal.
1959
Tshabalala-Msimang matriculates from Inanda Seminary.
1961
Tshabalala-Msimang receives her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Fort Hare located in the Eastern Cape.
1962
Tshabalala-Msimang is one of 27 young members of the African National Congress (ANC) who goes into exile following the South African government’s banning of the organisation. She remains abroad for the next 28 years.
1969
Tshabalala-Msimang receives a medical degree from the First Leningrad Medical Institute. She learns to speak fluent Russian during her studies.
1972
Tshabalala-Msimang receives a diploma in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. She learns to speak fluent Swahili during her studies.
1976
Tshabalala-Msimang begins her service as head of the Health Training Programme for National Liberation Movements of the Organisation of African Unity/ United Nations Development Programme at Morogoro in Tanzania. She holds this position until 1979.
1979
Tshabalala-Msimang begins her service as Deputy Secretary in charge of human resource development and deployment for the ANC in Tanzania and Zambia. She holds this position until 1990.
1980
Tshabalala-Msimang receives a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
This year, she convenes the first International Conference on Health and Apartheid held by the World Health Organisation.
1981
Tshabalala-Msimang conducts a survey on the nutritional status of ANC children in Tanzania.
1983
Tshabalala-Msimang conducts a study of the prevalence of chloroquinine-resistant malaria within ANC communities in Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania.
1986
Tshabalala-Msimang conducts a mental health survey within the ANC communities of Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.
1990
Tshabalala-Msimang returns to South Africa.
This year, she serves as a board member of the Mohammed Ghandi settlement Clinic Committee in Durban.
1991
Tshabalala-Msimang attends the Improving the Management of Primary Health Care Services Medex course at the University of Hawaii.
This year, she begins her service as co-ordinator of the ANC’s Health Plan for 1991-1994.
1992
Tshabalala-Msimang attends a course in Public Administration at Civil Service College in Sunningdale, United Kingdom.
1994
29 April, Tshabalala-Msimang is first elected to Parliament in the first democratic elections of South African history.
1996
1 July, Tshabalala-Msimang is appointed Deputy Justice Minister in the cabinet of President Nelson Mandela.
1998
As Deputy Justice Minister, Tshabalala-Msimang issues the first ever national policy guidelines for victims of sexual offenses in South Africa. A high level Intersectoral Task Team is convened by the department of justice to develop uniform national guidelines for handling rape and other sexual offence cases. This is a first attempt by the South African government to develop cohesive protocol for dealing with sexually based offenses.
1999
17 June, Tshabalala-Msimang is appointed Minister of Health in the administration of President Thabo Mbeki.
November, Tshabalala-Msimang opposes pressure from civil society for the government to provide the established antiretroviral drug Zidovudine (AZT) to HIV-positive pregnant women. The drug has been clinically shown to significantly reduce mother to child transmission of the illness.
November, ‘AZT was never meant to treat HIV. It was meant to treat cancer and, when it was discovered to be toxic, the drug companies stopped clinical trials of the drug because it was so toxic. Is this drug really one we want to use?’ – Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. (Retrieved from: www.southafrica.to)
2000
The Luther L. Terry Award is given to Tshabalala-Msimang by the American Cancer Society for her work on South Africa’s progressive legislation in tobacco control.
January, The South African AIDS Council (SANAC) is formed, having been coordinated in the previous year by Tshabalala-Msimang.
February, The HIV/AIDS/STD National Strategic Plan (NSP) for South Africa 2000-2005 is launched. Its development was coordinated by Tshabalala-Msimang.
8 November, ‘We (the ANC government) have no plans to introduce the wholesale administration of these drugs in the public sector. ARVs are not a cure for AIDS.’ – Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, in response to pressure from South African and international NGOs for the government to administer antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). (Retrieved from: www.southafrica.to).
2002
19 December, ‘Look at what Bush is doing. He could invade.’ – Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, in response to a question as to why money was being spent on military submarines as opposed to AIDS treatment. (Retrieved from: www.southafrica.to)
2003
1 April, ‘[AIDS]”¦ could also be a God-given opportunity for moral and spiritual growth, a time to review our assumptions about sin and morality.’ – Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. (Retrieved from: www.southafrica.to)
2004
The World Health Organization (WHO) awards Tshabalala-Msimang for her commitment and delivery on inter-country collaboration on Malaria.
April, The Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Management, Treatment, Care and Support is implemented. The plan was coordinated by Tshabalala-Msimang, and will run until March 2009.
2005
7 May, ‘I am surprised by the manner she draws up her amazing beliefs”¦to speak of side effects [of ARVs] is contrary to what the scientific evidence suggests. When she talks about raw garlic, onion, lemon and beetroot, what scientific evidence does she produce? Her actions could have severe implications for people and the image of the nation. Some form of censure should emerge.’ -Jerry Coovadia, professor at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, commenting on the Tshabalala-Msmimang’s public statements regarding HIV/AIDS. (Retrieved from: www.southafrica.to)
The National AIDS Trust Fund honours Tshabalala-Msimang for her work in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.
2006
April, Tshabalala-Msimang coordinates a review of SANAC and subsequently calls for its restructuring.
7 June, ‘Shall I repeat garlic, shall I talk about beetroot, shall I talk about lemon”¦ these delay the development of HIV to AIDS-defining conditions, and that’s the truth.’ – Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, during a debate on the health department’s budget. (www.southafrica.to)
July/August, Tshabalala-Msimang coordinates a review of the National Strategic Plan 2000-2005.
13-18 August, The XVI International AIDS Conference is held in Toronto. Tshabalala-Msimang attends and promotes her view that traditional medicines and nutritious African foods prevent AIDS. In a closing speech at the end of the conference, the United Nations special envoy for AIDS in Africa harshly critiques the South African government. He states that the government had a “lunatic fringe” (BBC News, 2006) attitude toward the epidemic, and that it had been “obtuse, dilatory, and negligent about rolling out treatment.” (Ibid.)
18 August, ‘There is this notion that traditional medicine is some quack thing practiced by primitive people”¦ unfortunately 80 percent of our people don’t care about ‘scientifically proven.’ – Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. (Retrieved from: www.southafrica.to)
28 August, ‘I think the TAC was just a disgrace, a disgrace not only to the [health] department but to the whole country. But I think, as South Africa, we really demonstrated that we are doing pretty well.’ Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, following the International AIDS conference in Toronto. (Retrieved from: www.southafrica.to)
5 September, 65 of the world’s leading scientists in the field of HIV/AIDS send a written request to President Mbeki for Health Minister Tshabalala-Msimang to be dismissed immediately. 10 of the signatories are South Africans, and the rest are British, Australian and American. Most signatories attended the XVI International HIV/AIDS Conference in Toronto. The letter states that Tshabalala-Msimang is an ‘embarrassment,’ (News 24, 2006) and insists on an end to the ‘catastrophic, pseudo-scientific policy that portrays the South African reaction to HIV/AIDS.’ (Ibid.) In another line of the letter, the scientists state that they are ‘deeply affected by the way that science is being undermined by the South African minister of health.’ (Ibid)
2007
20 February, Tshabalala-Msimang is admitted to the Johannesburg Hospital due to having accumulated an excess of fluid in her lungs.
26 February, Jeff Radebe is appointed as acting Health Minister due to Tshabalala-Msimang’s hospitalized condition.
14 March, Tshabalala-Msimang undergoes a liver transplant. Public statements cite autoimmune hepatitis as the cause her illness, but there is controversy regarding rumors that her liver failure was caused by heavy alcohol consumption. Nonetheless, she returns to work as Health Minister shortly following her recovery.
12 August, The Sunday Times publishes an article called “Manto’s Hospital Booze Binge” which makes scandalous claims about Tshabalala-Msimang’s shoulder operation of 2005. The article accuses the Health Minister of sending hospital workers for alcohol in the early hours of the morning during her recovery. The article also alleges that anonymous medical experts speculate her liver condition to be caused by alcohol abuse.
19 August, Another Sunday Times article entitled “Manto: A Drunk and a Thief” claims that Tshabalala-Msimang once stole hospital items in Bostwana, and was subsequently deported and banned from the country.
2008
July, Tshabalala-Msimang is the second person to ever receive the Walter Sisulu award for Leadership Excellence from the South African Students Congress. She receives the award on behalf of the health professionals of South Africa.
25 September, Following Mbeki’s resignation from the ANC, Tshabalala-Msimang is replaced by Barbara Hogan as Minister of Health in the interim presidency of Kgalema Motlanthe.
2009
16 December, Tshabalala-Msimang dies due to complications connected to her liver transplant two years prior. She is survived by her second husband Mendi Msimang, and her daughters Zuki and Pulane from her first marriage.

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Manto Tshabalala-Msimang timeline 1940 - 2009
Dr. Mantombazana ‘Manto’ Tshabalala-Msimang