Mr Mbeki's policy frustrates health services

Many are now distributing a key drug that could drastically reduce the number of babies born with HIV, despite the government's claim that the drug may not be suitable for the country.

Health workers say the drug has been shown to be successful in stopping mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

Medical opinion questioned

More than 70,000 babies are born HIV positive every year in South Africa.

One in nine people in the country is estimated to be HIV positive.

But President Thabo Mbeki himself has questioned conventional medical opinion on the drug.

He claims that the South African health services do not have the infrastructure to hand out the medication.

Court appeal

The government lost a lawsuit last year, demanding it begin a nationwide campaign.

However, the governing African National Congress is appealing against the court's ruling.

Aids activists say, in a country where frustration with government policy has become so high, it is not surprising that some provinces, even those controlled by the ANC, are forging their own policies.

The government has played down the significance of the provinces' plans, but it is another unwelcome embarrassment for Mr Mbeki's administration.