Critics say the government has been slow to act on Aids

The health department says there is enough money to do what is necessary.

But Aids activists say there is a lack of urgency in implementing the ambitious Aids treatment plan, approved by the cabinet in November.

South Africa has the world's highest number of people infected with HIV and Aids - an estimated five million.

Of these some 500,000 are believed to be in urgent need of Aids drugs, known as anti-retroviral drugs.

Plan

When the government plan was first outlined in July of last year it was estimated that a budget of $42m was needed for the initial phase of the scheme to give 53,000 people free anti-retrovirals.

Five million people should eventually benefit

But that budget, which runs up to the end of the financial year on 31 March, has now been cut to just $13m.

Dr Nono Simelela, head of the South African Aids Directorate, says the cabinet only approved the plan in November so the amount of money that will be spent before the end of the financial year is less than initially thought.

In the new financial year a greatly increased budget will then be available.

She added that if they needed more money, the government has promised they will have it.

Delays

South Africa is introducing the largest treatment programme in Africa and is planning to distribute free drugs to the five million sufferers.

But the government of Thabo Mbeki has been criticised in the past for responding slowly to the crisis.

"We seriously doubt the politicians' commitment to make a success of the plan," says the the Treatment Action Campaign's Mark Heywood.

"We are very concerned about what we see as totally unjustified delays... We believe this is costing peoples' lives."

The government says it is still negotiating prices with the drug companies for the anti-retrovirals, but by the end of the year it hopes to have at least one site in every district distributing the drugs.

Budget figures for the next financial year starting in April are due to be announced later this month.