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Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Data drought: How funding losses are compromising South Africa's HIV response efforts
About 40% of the health workers who collected data in the country's HIV hotspots either lost their jobs in February or will be jobless in September, leaving a massive knowledge gap in their wake. Experts warn that not knowing what we don't know is dangerous. 'Picture the patient walking into the facility. The first person who greets them is the data capturer, who looks at their file. From there, the data tells the story of what should happen next,' says Moses Mashupye, who was a data capturer for the Anova Health Institute, working with public clinics in Capricorn District, Limpopo. 'You're the engine of the facility. You know where to refer people, track patterns, and raise red flags when needed.' Mashupye is one of 1,601 data capturers who lost their jobs when the Trump administration abruptly halted all Pepfar funding for HIV and TB projects through the United States Agency for International Development, USAid, in February. Another 1,421, funded through the Centres for Disease Control (CDC), are also likely to lose their jobs in September, when the US government's financial year ends. According to health department spokesperson Foster Mohale, USAid and CDC-funded data capturers account for about 40% of the workers who collected crucial HIV data in the country's HIV hotspots. The massive scale of these losses is likely to have a big impact on the quality and continuity of HIV data — leaving researchers, policymakers and activists without the information they need to make sense of the funding cuts and find solutions. The data collected ensured patients didn't fall through the cracks — Mashupye already knows of hundreds of patients who missed appointments for antiretroviral treatment (ART) or testing — and helped the health department monitor the disease. That missing information means guesstimates and anecdotes are driving key decision-making about the 7.9-million people living with HIV in the country. Now, much of that information is simply not being captured. Counting our data capturers Mohale says the data capturer jobs were lost in the 27 health districts where the US government funded projects and health workers. Together, those districts account for 82% of South Africa's HIV burden. At a press conference on 15 May 2025, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said he was trying to fill that gap. Gauteng has hired and trained 75 data capturers, and North West has hired 173, and Mpumalanga 200. But that still leaves us thousands short. 'Data is at the heart of understanding where we are and what progress we're making, and what our problems are in making better progress,' said Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa), who says South Africa has an obligation to meeting its part of the United Nations' goal to end Aids as a public health threat by 2030. For this, countries around the world have halfway targets, known as the 95-95-95 goals, that need to be met by the end of 2025. South Africa needs to have 95% of all people with HIV diagnosed, and of those 95% need to be on antiretroviral treatment. Of those on antiretroviral treatment 95% need to have so little virus in their bodies that they can't transmit it to others; scientists call this being virally suppressed. Motsoaledi says South Africa is currently at the 96-79-94 mark. The second '95' is what we're so behind on; we're struggling to get people who know they have HIV on treatment and keep them on it. Data collection is central to identifying, then fixing gaps like these in HIV programmes. Which is why Pepfar spent more on data capturers than any other type of health workers in South Africa — about 12.5% of all salary funding — and that includes nurses, community health workers and lay counsellors. Skilled data capturers like Mashupye, who handled sensitive patient data and helped spot trends that shaped disease responses, earned about R10,000 to R14,000 a month, said Kate Rees, a public health medicine specialist at the Anova Health Institute. 'I think this is the nub of the problem,' said Linda-Gail Bekker, head of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, at a recent Bhekisisa and Southern African HIV Clinicians Society webinar about the impact of the funding cuts hosted by Bhekisisa and the HIV Clinicians Society. 'If you don't measure something, you won't even know that it's a problem. So, unfortunately, to date a lot of it has been anecdotal stuff.' Key populations guesstimates During our webinar Rees agreed. She said the lack of reliable data had forced guesswork. But from the data that is coming in, Rees is seeing 'key metrics rapidly deteriorate' — viral loads, CD4 counts, tests for young babies — when compared to last year. Viral loads and CD4 counts tell doctors how well HIV treatment works. 'We're seeing about a 30% decrease in people (in the City of Johannesburg) starting on antiretroviral therapy. We hope that that is mostly due to incomplete data capturing. The records are not being updated, but we don't know, and so it becomes incredibly difficult to monitor the programme.' Rees is also concerned that current government indicators don't adequately track groups of people with a higher chance of getting HIV — called key populations — such as sex workers, gay and bisexual men, people who inject drugs and transgender people. For the past 10 years, nearly half of new infections globally have happened in these groups. Every year, the UNAids Global Aids update shows why it's so important to put money into services for key populations. When new infections in those groups are reduced, it also slows down the spread of the virus in the general population. That's what is giving Kholi Buthelezi, national coordinator of the sex work movement Sisonke, sleepless nights. Pepfar funded 12 specialised clinics across the country. Now that those are gone, sex workers are being referred to state clinics where they face discrimination, making them reluctant to go there. Because of that, some have stopped taking anti-HIV pills that can stop infection or ARV treatments. But, she said during our webinar, without data there is no knowing the scale of the problem. The detail in the data The deputy director-general for National Health Insurance, Nicholas Crisp, says he isn't too worried about the missing numbers, and that the data tracking gap might be a blessing in disguise, a chance to create one system for the different ways in which donors require organisations to report it. But he warns things could worsen if CDC-funded data capturers also lose their jobs in September. 'I've got no doubt that there are going to be dents in the impact of what we're able to collect and report on, but exactly what and where and how, I can't really say. I think we would need to ask the people on the ground about that.' Fezile Mgxagxama had been working on the ground as a data capturer in Hillbrow for six years, when he too, lost his job overnight. He was one of eight data capturers Anova deployed to the fast-paced Esselen Street Clinic to support the government service to 20,000 people in the area. Just three state-employed data capturers remain. 'As it is, when we were together, the government capturers used to do about 20% of what we did per day,' says Mgxagxama. 'We used to pass our Pepfar training on to them to improve their productivity. Now, we have heard they are falling more behind, day by day.' To get reliable data for real-time decision making, Pepfar funded highly detailed data collection. This sort of expertise, from running programmes to managing the data, has taken decades to build, and experts say they aren't convinced the R2.82-billion to fill the funding gap left by Pepfar is going to cover the catch-up time that's going to be needed. When are you guys coming back? It was data that helped South Africa turn HIV dissidence on its head. In 2001, South Africa had little data on the proportion of people with HIV, and people were refused free treatment due to government denialism. But the Human Sciences Research Council's first national survey in 2002 was a turning point: it revealed that more than 11% of participants were HIV positive, showing the scale of the crisis and prompting action, as the Bhekisisa data team reported in December. Data has been quickly disappearing around the world as the Trump administration strips scientific data from US websites, including global Pepfar data, which means another reference point, historical data, has been lost to HIV disease trackers who figure out trends. Not having the Pepfar data reminds Mitchell Warren, the executive director of the New York-based HIV prevention organisation, Avac, of what Trump argued during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic: 'If we stopped testing right now, we'd have very few cases, if any.' Warren says this makes no sense. 'Pepfar's systems weren't perfect, but they were consistent and used to guide real-time decisions. Now, we're flying blind. So here's the choice: guess, spend money and hope. Or use data to drive smart, targeted decisions.' The data vacuum is what was worrying delegates in the corridors of last week's Interest conference in Windhoek. Researchers and HIV specialists at the Africa-focused HIV gathering were fearful that this would be the last time they saw the kind of detailed insight that has been generated by Pepfar-supported projects in the past, hindering their ability to guide the HIV response. But right now, say researchers like Bekker, the need to get into a room to set priorities and keep the hard-fought momentum going is what's urgent. 'We saw amazing leadership during Covid, right? And then private funding kind of followed in its wake. We're not hearing that this time around. And my concern is because it doesn't feel like anyone's in charge.' Mashupye and his patients are worried, too. He says patients are calling him on his personal cellphone every day and asking him: 'When are you guys coming back? Is there any feedback from Trump? Because we need you.' DM
IOL News
19-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Godongwana's Budget 3. 0: Prioritising the Poor Over Executive Privilege
Economic Freedom Front leader Julius Malema (centre) led a victory march to National Treasury on Monday May 19, 2025. The EFF has claimed victory for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's scrapping of a proposed hike in VAT. Opposition forces, led with surprising agility and populist verve by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), marshalled a political fight that wittingly reframed the ANC as anti-poor, says the writer. Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers Zamikhaya Maseti Isukile kwakhona! Here we go once again! ON Wednesday, we will witness yet another high-stakes performance in the great theatre of democratic budgeting, as Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana presents his third version of the 2025 Budget Vote. But make no mistake, this is no ordinary fiscal recital. It follows a bruising, bare-knuckled political brawl that left the ANC staggering, bloodied, and ideologically disoriented. At the core of the fracas? A deceptively modest proposal: a 0.5% increase in Value-Added Tax (VAT). But the storm it unleashed was anything but minor. What began as a technical adjustment soon morphed into a political reckoning, a fierce and public reckoning over the soul of the post-apartheid State and its commitment to the poor. In a twist that defied South Africa's familiar ideological geography, the proposed VAT hike galvanised strange bedfellows. Opposition forces, led with surprising agility and populist verve by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), marshalled a political fight that wittingly reframed the ANC as anti-poor. What was once the champion of the downtrodden now stood accused of turning the screws on township tables and subsistence counters. The ANC, caught flat-footed, first doubled down, perhaps misjudging the moment's mood. Then came the late and unceremonious U-turn. A retreat, yes. But more than that: an admission of strategic miscalculation, an ideological dislocation, a movement groping for its moral compass. One cannot help but reflect on this episode as part of a larger political unravelling, where the once ironclad bond between the ANC and its working-class base appears frayed, if not severed. The ANC now limps into the Budget Vote with a nosebleed, not fatal, but revealing. The confidence of old has been replaced with tactical hedging, the decisiveness of revolution substituted by the fumbling of technocrats. The wound is fresh. Whether it festers or heals will depend on more than budget lines. It will rest on the Party's willingness to reflect, self-correct, renew, and reconnect with its traditional base. This time, the Budget will not land softly. It will fall into a land already bruised, economically fatigued, politically anxious, and socially volatile. When Minister Godongwana steps up to the podium on Wednesday, he will do so against a stark and sobering backdrop: a national unemployment rate of 32.9% in the First Quarter of 2025, and approximately 8.2 million South Africans are without work. 4.8 million of them are young people. This is not just a fiscal context, as Treasury officials might put it in their briefings. Minister Godongwana cannot balance this budget by balancing away the youth. He cannot quote GDP forecasts while dodging the gaze of a generation that has waited too long for opportunities that never came. Budgeting, in this climate, is no longer technocratic. It is ethical. It is about whose hopes get funded and whose futures get deferred. The choice is now elemental: either a budget for growth with inclusion, or a budget that fuels exclusion without end. The 2025 Budget Vote must be a moment of reckoning: no more slogans. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading I suppose, as we reflect on the high rate of unemployment and what the 2025 Budget Vote has in store for us as a Nation, we must ask ourselves some unpalatable questions. The first question that comes to mind is whether the trust deficit between the Private Sector and the Government, especially after 29 May 2024, is still real or merely perceived. Why do we continue to face such a high unemployment rate if the South African Government and the Private Sector are supposedly singing from the same hymn book when it comes to our development trajectory? What is it that we, as South Africans, are not doing enough to grow the South African economy? I raise these questions precisely because I do not want us to look at the high rate of unemployment and instinctively blame the government or expect Minister Godongwana to table 'instant coffee' economic solutions this coming Wednesday. Let us self-reflect and have a genuine, honest conversation, as a people, about our role, our effort, and our shared accountability. The time has come to confront yet another sacred cow in our economic discourse, the dogma of the market fundamentalists who declare with theological certainty that 'it is not the business of government to do business.' In their hymn book, the state must step aside, clear the regulatory path, and create a 'conducive environment' for business to thrive. And so, we ask: Has the South African government not done what was asked of it? Over the past decade, successive administrations have bent backwards to accommodate investment. Policy reforms have been enacted. Infrastructure has been prioritised. Institutions have been rebuilt. And let us not forget the flagship South African Investment Conferences, which since inception have mobilised R1.14 trillion in investment pledges. Government data tells us that R460 billion of this has already been committed on the ground, building new factories, acquiring new equipment, and laying down roads. Yes, these are not promises; they are concrete inputs into the economy. These are not theoretical models; they are brick-and-mortar realities. The question then is not whether the government has created a conducive environment. It has. The question is: why do jobs not follow? Why, despite all the pledges and ribbon-cuttings, do the queues outside labour centres grow longer? Could it be that the Capital has become too comfortable extracting returns without redistributing opportunities? Could it be that "conducive" is now code for 'minimal wages, no transformation, and tax breaks' We do not raise these questions to inflame. We raise them because a Nation that no longer questions itself has already accepted decline as destiny. And I am quite certain, utterly convinced, that if we confront these hard questions with diligence, courage, and good faith, we will find one another. The bridges between the State and Capital are not broken beyond repair, they are merely unmanned. Yes, the path to recovery demands reciprocal trade-offs. Not symbolic gestures, but real, measurable commitments. If the private sector is to step up, to invest, to hire, to build, then the state must lead by example. That begins with discipline. With integrity. With a ruthless commitment to cutting the fat that weighs down the people's hope. The Government of National Unity (GNU), bold as it is in aspiration, must also be bold in restraint. It cannot proclaim to be a vehicle of transformation while riding on the bloated engine of excess. The symbolism is glaring and dangerous. At a time when the nation is called to sacrifice, the GNU must not feast while the Nation fasts. Minister Godongwana, in his wisdom and experience, must consider this. Among the many levers at his disposal, few are as politically potent and morally urgent as trimming the Executive and Administrative fat. This is not merely about fiscal savings. It is about restoring public trust. It is about sending a clear signal that this government does not govern from above, but alongside the people. And if we are truly rising, as a Nation, as a people, then we must rise not only in rhetoric, but in restraint. The call for trimming the executive and administrative fat is not a populist outcry, it is a patriotic necessity. Because the legitimacy of the State is built not in boardrooms or press briefings, but in the sacrifices it is willing to make in solidarity with the people. If we are serious and I mean dead serious about restoring fiscal credibility and public trust, then the scissors must be wielded with both courage and consistency. Trimming the fat should not be a headline; it should be a national ethos. And here is what that must include, without hesitation and ceremonial foot-dragging: Collapse into one of the ministries with duplicated or competing mandates, such as agriculture and land reform. The land does not need two bureaucracies ; it needs one focused institution that delivers. Do away with Deputy Ministerial positions, not some, but most, if not all. If we are to be a lean state, we must begin by slimming the top. Freeze public sector wage increases across the board, not selectively. And this includes the sacred cows, State-Owned Entities and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). Let there be one national pay freeze, reflective of the shared economic hardship. Halt international travel, especially where presence does not translate into tangible outcomes. In an age of digital diplomacy, there is no excuse for million-rand delegations. Cancel unnecessary catering and luxury government functions. No more steak while the Nation eats starch. No more linen-draped banquets to announce empty reforms. But let this truth echo beyond the Union Buildings. The Private Sector must not watch from the penthouse while the Nation bleeds on the pavement. Executive pay has ballooned into moral scandals. The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) cannot be rewarded for profitability that coexists with poverty. So, we say with clarity: Freeze abnormal Executive increases. Disclose income inequality ratios within firms. Reinvest bonuses into job creation and upskilling. This is not about austerity as punishment. This is austerity as moral realignment. Let the GNU lead by example, and let the private sector follow not out of obligation, but out of national conscience. Because if we are to demand sacrifice from the unemployed, from students, from pensioners, then those who sit in air-conditioned offices must sacrifice first. This is how trust is rebuilt. This is how national healing begins. Not with slogans, but with shared discipline and ethical leadership. We have raised the mirror, held up the questions, examined the wounds, and challenged the orthodoxies. We have called for discipline, for ethical sacrifice, for mutual trust and genuine Nation-Building. We have spoken not just to the numbers, but to the conscience of a country struggling to find its soul in a budget line. And so now, as the Nation holds its breath for the 2025 Budget Vote, we close not with fanfare, but with a solemn appeal: Your Excellency, Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana, Madiba, Zondwa! As you take the podium on Wednesday,21 May 2025, break and shake the South African public and private sector economic landscape with strong, groundbreaking, and financially sustainable interventions. And in so doing, spare yourself the wrath of the masses of the South African people. * Zamikhaya Maseti is a Political Economy Analyst with a Magister Philosophiae (M. PHIL) in South African Politics and Political Economy from the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), now known as the Nelson Mandela University (NMU). ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Home Affairs digital reform to include birth registrations at public hospitals
Schreiber says the aim is for Home Affairs services to become available 24/7, accessible in bank branches and online from anywhere in the country. Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber says digital transformation will help with the registrations of newborns in South African public hospitals. Speaking during the Peace and Security Cluster question-and-answer session in parliament on Wednesday, Schreiber said his department is working on decentralising Home Affairs services and making them more accessible. 'We are working on digital transformation in that space, so that you're not required to have officials all over the country; you can let technology do the work for you in a secure manner,' he said. The minister was responding to Economic Freedom Fighters member of parliament (MP) Veronica Mente-Nkuna's question about Home Affairs services only being available at selected hospitals. 'Babies are born in hospitals, and only tertiary hospitals have got Home Affairs officials in them. Why are other hospitals where the service of giving birth is available?' Mente-Nkuna asked. ALSO READ: EFF calls for treason charges against corrupt Home Affairs officials 'Why don't you have officials of Home Affairs stationed in those hospitals so that the babies are recorded and registered right there, so that there is no up and down?' Long queues Mente-Nkuna also raised concerns about vulnerable people being turned away from Home Affairs branches and asked to return another day due to long queues. She said pregnant women, mothers with babies, people living with disabilities and the elderly – who are usually grant recipients from rural areas – often use their last money to travel from remote locations, only to be turned away. Schreiber said the Home Affairs model the government of national unity (GNU) inherited after the May 2024 election was largely based on the idea of brick-and-mortar offices. He said while there are currently 342 offices and 220 mobile units across the country, these are not enough to service the 62 million-strong population. ALSO READ: Schreiber on Afrikaner farmers' citizenship as Ramaphosa downplays African Americans refugee offer Bringing Home Affairs 'closer to home' 'This is why we are now building a fundamentally new model through our vision to deliver Home Affairs at home. To bring Home Affairs much closer to home, including in rural areas, we are working to expand a successful pilot project with bank branches from the current 30 bank branches to over 1 000,' the minister said. 'Once this digital transformation work is complete, I can indeed give the assurance that Home Affairs services will become available 24/7, accessible in bank branches but also online from anywhere in the country.' Cutting the queues Schreiber said moving people out of Home Affairs queues and into the bank branches or online will free up the department and allow them to focus on people who need their help and support the most. This includes undocumented South African children. 'We need a dedicated campaign to resolve that, to bring dignity to these people. And we can only do that once we free up capacity, and we can do that through partnership and technology.' NOW READ: Big ID change for SA from Monday
Wakala News
30-03-2025
- Wakala News
Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola case: Digital evidence leads to clues in deaths of friends dumped outside LA hospitals by masked men
This story originally aired on April 15, 2023. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia, a doctor in Durango, Mexico, was used to handling medical emergencies. But nothing prepared her for the call she got about her eldest daughter and namesake Hilda Marcela Cabrales. Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia: I received the phone call in the middle of the night saying that she was so ill, she was very bad, she was intubated. The 26-year-old architect was fighting for her life in the ICU at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Los Angeles. Jonathan Vigliotti: You are a doctor, what was going on in your mind at the time? Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia: What happened? What — what happened to her? Why is she that bad? Another mother in Corner, Alabama, was also getting shattering news. Dusty Giles' daughter Christy was in the ER at a completely different Los Angeles hospital — the Southern California Medical Center. Dusty Giles: I was just told, 'I'm very sorry to inform you, Ms. Giles. … But she was dropped off at our hospital on the outside, kind of like a bag of garbage.' And, um … 'she didn't make it.' … And I said, 'what do you mean she didn't make it?' Dusty Giles: And they said … 'it is now a police matter.' … I hung up and I fell apart. Christy Giles, who had just turned 24, was dead of a drug overdose. But when detectives heard how she was dropped off, they immediately suspected foul play. Hospital staff told investigators a black Prius without license plates pulled up to the ER entrance. Two men told the staff they found the woman 'passed out on the curb somewhere nearby …' and were trying to be good Samaritans by bringing her to the hospital. They left without giving their names or phone numbers. Barry Telis: It was appalling to me. Barry Telis, a former Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective and CBS News consultant, says nothing about that story made sense. Barry Telis: Nobody just drops somebody off and says, 'Hey, by the way, we were driving down the street. We found this girl passed out on the sidewalk. ' It was an unfathomable ending to a life bursting with exuberance. Misty Weldon: When Christy came into a room she was like a tornado. Her personality was big, it was loud, and you just couldn't help but love her for it. Her big sister, Misty Weldon, says life for Christy was one big adventure. Misty Weldon: There was nothing in the world that she was afraid to do. Misty Weldon: Christy went skydiving. Christy rode camels in Morocco. We rode donkeys around the Grand Canyon. When not out adventuring, Christy was traveling the world as a high fashion model for Wilhelmina. The onetime soccer star traded in her cleats for a pair of heels at age of 15. She ultimately made L.A. her home. At 21, her life took a dramatic turn. Misty Weldon: I got a text message from her that said, 'I did something. Don't tell Mom.' … I thought, 'Oh no What has she done?' And I got a text message … that said, 'I got married.' And I thought, 'To who?' To a South African born artist, photographer and special effects editor 17 years her senior named Jan Cilliers. They met through friends at an art gallery in L.A. Jonathan Vigliotti: I understand that before all of this, you were not the marrying type. Jan Cilliers: I don't know where you heard that, but it's true … once I was with her, you know … it was different. Jan planned to pop the question just seven months after meeting at the Burning Man arts festival in the Nevada desert. But, in the moment, they figured why wait. Jan Cillier: Instead, we just decided to elope. We just got married right there. Christy's mom and dad Leslie never expected to hear their daughter's name in the same sentence as elope and Burning Man. Needless to say, it did not go over well. Dusty Giles: 'Christy, I can't believe you've done this. Your dad didn't even get to walk you down the aisle.' And she goes, 'Oh, no, no, no, no. We got married. But we are full-on having a wedding in Alabama.' The newlyweds came to Alabama, and Christy and her mom found the perfect wedding dress to wear at a later date. Back in L.A., Christy started studying interior design, which led to a new friendship with Hilda Marcela. Hilda was an architect from Mexico who had just moved to L.A to start her dream job in interior design. Jonathan Vigliotti: Do you remember when she said she wanted to go to Los Angeles? And how did you feel when she told you that? Luis Cabrales: I feel very happy for her, but very sad for me, because we are — we are very close. Luis Cabrales checked in with his daughter every day she was in L.A. Luis Cabrales: Message, 'Daughter, I miss you.' 'I miss you, too, father.' Never told me daddy, always told me father. No one was surprised that the summa cum laude graduate of the prestigious university in Monterrey, Mexico, was thriving in L.A. Fernanda Cantisani and Alan Betancourt, who called her Marcela or Marce, were two of her closest friends in Monterrey. Fernanda Cantisani: She always gave her 100 percent in everything she did … in her … friendships with her family, with her job, with herself, too. She had already lived in South Korea and traveled the world. Jonathan Vigliotti: how many countries in all? Luis Cabrales: Twenty-two countries. Jonathan Vigliotti: Twenty-two countries for such a young girl. Alan Betancourt: She was very determined. … she also knew how to have a good time. Fernanda Cantisani: She loved to dance. … she loved to dress up. … every single person that met her loved … loved Marcela. Including her dog — a Weimaraner named Tomas. She left him with Alan when she moved to L.A. but planned to call for him when she got her bearings. That call would never come. Just four months after moving to LA, Hilda was in a coma — her life in the balance. Her frantic parents and sister Fernanda racing to her side. Fernanda Cantisani: … and I thought, when we are there, things will change. She will, she will wake up. FENTANYL-LACED OVERDOSES AND THE DATE RAPE DRUG Hilda Marcela, the vibrant young architect who loved laughing with friends, traveling the world with her sister and playing with her dog Tomas, looked nothing like the Hilda Marcela her family saw when they arrived at the hospital in Los Angeles. Luis Cabrales: My heart broke in thousand pieces. Because I saw … my baby, unconscious, and … fighting for her life. Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Placencia: I said, 'is this real? Am I dreaming? … I took her hand and I said … 'Mom's here with you. You're not alone.' Fernanda Cabrales-Arzola | Hilda's sister: I was very shocked, very impressed. I never expected looking at her like this. Like Christy, Hilda had suffered a drug overdose. Toxicology reports would later reveal that she had cocaine, MDMA or ecstasy, and elevated levels of fentanyl in her system. But her friends and family were sure that this early to bed, early to rise, health-conscious young woman would never have willingly taken such a toxic cocktail of drugs. Jonathan Vigliotti: When you heard overdose, you immediately thought drugged? Fernanda Cabrales-Arzola: Yeah, drugged … I was sure someone did this to her. Jonathan Vigliotti: When you were told that the cause of death was an overdose, did that add up to you? Jan Cilliers: Absolutely not. … definitely not something that she would have done to herself ever. … that's just not her. Christy's autopsy showed she had cocaine, fentanyl, and GHB — known as the date rape drug — in her system. In the hours and days after Christy's death, Jan was determined to get to the truth. Jan Cilliers: I wanted to get to the bottom of … what exactly what happened that night. Jan began putting the puzzle pieces together starting on the evening of Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 — the night of the warehouse party. He made a timeline based on what he knew about Christy's plans, conversations with Christy's friends, and the digital trail she left behind. Jan, who had gone to San Francisco to visit his dad, says Christy spent the early evening doing what she loved most. Jan Cilliers: She was enjoying a lovely sunset. She took our cat for a walk on the beach Jan Cilliers: Those were the last pictures she sent me of this herself. And she said, 'I wish you were here,' and I will forever wish that I was there, too. Christy, Hilda, and a friend who does not want to be identified, had planned a girl's night out. They kicked it off at the Soho House in West Hollywood, then moved onto a warehouse party after midnight where photos were taken. Cellphone video posted on social media shows Hilda and Christy dancing in the VIP section. Jan Cilliers: An area which is more protected and safer to be in. By then, Jan had gone to bed. When he woke up the next morning – it was now Saturday, Nov.13 — he saw that Christy had texted him. Jan Cilliers: I texted her back and sort of didn't hear anything from her. At first, he just assumed she was sleeping in. But after a few hours with no word, he noticed something strange. They shared locations on their phones. Jan Cilliers: I saw that she was at a location that I didn't recognize. Her phone was located at 8641 West Olympic Boulevard. Jan Cilliers: So … a little orange flag at the back of your head. Jan Cilliers: I still hadn't heard back from her, and I saw her location had suddenly moved … to the hospital. Jan Cilliers: I called the hospital. They told me that she was in the emergency room and at that point, like, I'm in real panic. Jan raced to the airport to catch a flight back to L.A. Jan Cilliers: I called her parents … let them know that something terrible had happened and that she's in the emergency room … and then, her mom called the emergency room and called me back probably five minutes later, letting me know that Christy passed away. Jonathan Vigliotti: In less than 24 hours, your world was turned upside down. Jan Cilliers: Shattered. Jan went straight to the hospital. Christy and Hilda's friend who had been at the warehouse party with them, but left early, was already here. She had been desperately trying to get in touch with Hilda but couldn't reach her. They were about to find out why. Jan Cilliers: She … got a call from a different hospital like two hours later saying that Hilda was just checked in there … And then — like, obviously, all our alarm bells are going off in our heads when both girls are dropped off at two different hospitals, two hours apart. Like something terrible happened that night. And Jan believed, whatever happened, took place at that mysterious address on Olympic Blvd. He put it on Instagram asking for help. Jonathan Vigliotti: You blast out this address and very quickly, you got responses. Jan Cilliers: Yeah. Jonathan Vigliotti: What are those responses? Jan Cilliers: That there's somebody that lives at this location that is very unsavory person, um, that there's a lot of stuff out on the Internet about him. His name was David Pearce. Hilda and Christy were believed to have met him for the first time at the warehouse party. Barry Telis: David Pearce flew under the radar … for a long time. But his past was about to catch up with him as he faces serious charges, says former prosecutor Mary Fulginiti. Jonathan Vigliotti: So, at best, a con man. At worst? Mary Fulginiti: A criminal, a sexual predator … a drug dealer. Jonathan Vigliotti: A murderer? Mary Fulginiti: A murderer. RETRACING CHRISTY AND HILDA'S NIGHT OUT As Hilda Marcela lay in a hospital bed fighting for her life in LA, Dusty and Leslie Giles were preparing to bury their daughter Christy in Alabama. Half her ashes would go to Jan to scatter in the places they loved. Dusty placed the rest in an urn inside a butterfly box and gently wrapped it in the wedding dress she never had the chance to wear. Dusty Giles: It was important because I know how happy she was when she found it. She swirled like a princess literally in it. Within hours of Christy's death, detectives on the case were following clues from Christy herself. Her pinging phone had led them straight to the apartment of David Pearce at 8641 West Olympic Blvd. Barry Telis: Police drive over there. Oh, my God. There's the car. Boom. There's the car. … Same car. Telis says police believed it was the same black Prius with no license plates that dropped Christy off at the hospital. Barry Telis: And it's like, OK, I think — I think we have our man. They retraced the movements of the women that night, which would become the basis of a police affidavit. When they combed through those pictures from the party at the warehouse, there was David Pearce with Hilda partying it up in the VIP section. Jonathan Vigliotti: it sounds like VIP access gave David Pearce … instant credibility. Barry Telis: Absolutely. It's all part of the manipulation … He must be a good guy. He's in the VIP section. It was likely all part of a plan to meet women — a plan that included drugs, says the retired detective. Barry Telis: Based on the witnesses' statements and the police investigation… David Pearce comes with a bag of cocaine — an ounce estimated — and David Pearce came here to share it with whoever he could meet. According to Telis, cocaine is a hot ticket at these parties, at least on that night, even for Hilda and Christy. The police recovered this text exchange between the two women starting at 4:21 a.m. while still at the warehouse party: 'Do you want coke?' asks Hilda. 'Yes,' replies Christy. Hilda texted back 'I'm in the kitchen. Let's do a line.' According to the police affidavit, a witness 'observed Pearce provide what looked like cocaine to Giles and Cabrales who consumed it.' Police say half an hour later, surveillance video obtained by '48 Hours' shows Hilda and Christy leaving with David Pearce and two other men — his roommate Brandt Osborn and their friend, photographer Michael Ansbach. They all get into Osborn's car. At 5:11 a.m., according to the police affidavit, surveillance video — which has not been released because of the ongoing investigation — shows Osborn's car arriving in front of the apartment. According to the affidavit, several people got out of the vehicle and headed to the entrance of the residence. Nineteen minutes later, at 5:30 a.m., Christy sends — from inside Pearce's apartment — a wide-eyed emoji text to Hilda saying, 'let's go.' Hilda replies 'I'll call an Uber 10 min away.' Thirteen minutes later, according to the affidavit, a car, believed to be the Uber, pulls up. After waiting five minutes it drives away without Christy and without Hilda. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you process that? Jan Cilliers: I mean it's just confirming my worst fears again that they were there at that place against their will. They didn't want to be there. They wanted to leave. Mary Fulginiti, a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney and a CBS News consultant, has reviewed the police affidavit and court documents. She says this text is an important piece of evidence. Mary Fulginiti: Something or someone stopped them in their tracks because they never got out and they never left. No one knows exactly what went on inside that apartment for the next 13 hours. But, according to the affidavit, a neighbor heard someone 'in pain and moaning on-and-off during the hours of 10:30 a.m. …until 4 p.m.' For reasons not known, the neighbor did not call police. Mary Fulginiti: She's clearly in a distressed state that everyone seems to just be ignoring. And when I say everyone, not just Pearce or Osborn, but there's a third individual that appears to have been at that apartment, at least for part or all of the night, and that's Michael Ansbach. Whatever happened inside the apartment was hidden from public view, not so outside the apartment. Another key piece of evidence: images captured on security cameras. Barry Telis (standing outside Pearce's apartment): But the cameras are in the adjacent building right next door, pointing right in this direction. Although Telis has not seen the video, the police affidavit describes it in detail. At 4:19 in the afternoon — 11 hours after they'd arrived at the apartment — Pearce and Osborn are caught on camera carrying Christy down the back stairs. Barry Telis: It shows Pearce exit the door … the back door, looks … in both directions. Barry Telis: Making sure the coast is clear … making sure there's not gonna be any witnesses that sees me carrying this body to my car. Both men get in the Prius. According to the affidavit, the men are captured on security cameras trying to disguise themselves. Mary Fulginiti: You see them putting on a hat, a mask and a hoodie. And then they drive away, and they drive to a hospital. Southern California Medical Center. Shortly after, according to police, Ansbach leaves the residence carrying bags 'of unknown items.' Pearce and Osborn return to the apartment to get Hilda. They carry her partially clad body out to the Prius. Mary Fulginiti: And again, they leave … They don't go to the same hospital. They go to a different hospital, Kaiser Permanente. Jonathan Vigliotti: Why not bring them at the same time to the same hospital? Barry Telis: Who knows? They're trying to conceal their actions. They're trying to keep the police at bay, and they don't want to hit the radar. Mary Fulginiti: And they do the same thing … They drop the body, they tell the same story, and then they take off without leaving their name, their phone number or anything to identify themselves with. Jonathan Vigliotti: And Hilda … what is her state at this point. Barry Telis: Hilda was still alive … when they got her to the hospital … and then she was declared what we call brain dead. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you process that when you heard that news? Luis Cabrales: The worst day of my life. A BREAK IN THE CASE After almost two weeks on life support, it was time for Hilda Marcela's family to say goodbye. Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia: Oh, they were so hard you know … and I just was asking God to not let her suffer more. Fernanda Cabrales: I remember telling her that you can leave … and just thanking her for being my sister. Luis Cabrales: I told her … 'baby, when I pass away, I will see you again and I give you a big hug, a kiss.' The family decided to donate Hilda Marcela's organs. Her mom remembers the medical staff lining the halls as the family accompanied Hilda to the OR. Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia: The medical team was clapping … to honor her, to say thank you for giving life to others. Hilda Marcela Cabrales was pronounced dead one day before her 27th birthday. Back in Monterrey Mexico, her friends gathered to remember her all dressed in white at her favorite park. Fernanda Cantisani: We brought her favorite thing to drink and her favorite cake … at first … we were crying. … But at some point … we put her favorite music on … and we just started dancing and we were laughing and hugging. And it was beautiful. … I felt, like, she was there. Three weeks after Hilda's death, a break in the case. David Pearce, 39, Brandt Osborn, 42, and Michael Ansbach, 47, were arrested in connection to Hilda and Christy's deaths, but not officially charged. Osborn and Ansbach were eventually released, but not Pearce. He was held on four unrelated sexual assault charges. KCAL ANCHOR/REPORTER: New tonight, a Beverly Hills man has been charged with sexually assaulting four different women. Barry Telis: When this case … hit the media, more victims showed up said … I know that guy. He did this to me. The prosecution is alleging — in cases dating back to 2010 — that Pearce lured four different Jane Does to his apartment and gave all but one a 'special drink' causing them to get dizzy or black out. Mary Fulginiti: The allegations include forcible rape, sexual penetration with a foreign object … having sex with someone who's unconscious. Erica Bergman, who also goes by Erykah Poe, is not one of the Jane Does. But she says she was so traumatized by Pearce, she tried to warn other women about him on a blog called 'The Dirty' as far back as 2013. She discovered she had a lot of company. Erica Bergman: There's a lot of commonalities in our stories. Erica says she met Pearce at a low point in her life – she was getting a divorce and money was tight. Initially, she says she was taken in by him. Erica Bergman: He would talk a lot about celebrities that he knew and introduce himself as a producer for Paramount Pictures. So, he was really larger-than-life kind of personality. But she says it didn't take her long to realize that Pearce, who often introduced himself as 'Dave from Paramount Pictures,' lied. He never worked at the movie studio. Erica Bergman: David Pearce … is a very bad person. Erica believes that one night he drugged her. She slept until 4 p.m. the next day and woke up feeling strange and groggy. Erica Bergman: And Dave is bouncing around the room, kind of laughing and giddy. … and he started to tell me how while I was passed out, he had assaulted me while I was sleeping, sexually assaulted me, and the things that he had done to me. And it was incredibly degrading. Erica says she wanted to leave but felt trapped. She says he threatened to send compromising pictures to her estranged husband whom she was battling in divorce court. She reluctantly stayed, but she says the violence only got worse. Erica Bergman: He slammed my head onto the … marble floor and the sound in my ears was like an egg cracking, and I can't get that sound out of my ears. Erica says she was too scared to press charges, but she soon left for good. Then it all came rushing back when she heard about Christy and Hilda. Erica Bergman: My first gut instinct was that this was not an accident, that … he had his name all over it. In May 2022, the prosecution added three more counts of sexual assault against David Pearce. DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY CATHERINE MARIANO (to reporters): We've added three additional sexual assault charges with three additional victims. And there was more. CBS NEWS LOS ANGELES: 40-year-old David Pearce has been charged with murder in connection with the women's deaths. After a seven-month investigation, the DA had enough evidence to indict David Pearce on two counts of murder, claiming David Pearce gave Christy and Hilda lethal amounts of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid drug dealers often mix with other drugs, unbeknownst to the user. Jonathan Vigliotti: It took months before David Pearce was charged with murder. What was your reaction? Jan Cilliers: I mean, definitely relief, but also very sad. The police did not find any fentanyl-laced drugs in Pearce and Osborn's apartment, just drug paraphernalia. But Osborn, who has been charged as an accessory to murder after the fact, may have unwittingly explained why. According to the police affidavit, Osborn told coworkers if cops had found the 'drugs hidden underneath the cash' inside the car they would've been in 'big trouble.' Not finding fentanyl-laced drugs creates a big challenge for the prosecution, says Fulginiti. Mary Fulginiti: They're going to have to prove that David Pearce gave the girls these drugs and he knew at the time that it could harm them, and he did so with conscious disregard. … so, they're gonna have to prove that David Pearce intended to kill these young women. That's not an easy threshold to overcome. Especially in light of witness statements that the women were doing drugs willingly — cocaine at the warehouse and earlier in the evening, as well. Friends told police Christy and Hilda both had taken cocaine and ketamine, a popular club drug. Jonathan Vigliotti: How does this work in the defense's favor? Josh Ritter: Because fentanyl is a problem in this country … And people are dying from fentanyl that they take recreationally because they believe that they're only taking cocaine. Josh Ritter: If you're the defense, that's the point you want to continue to drive home. It's, how do you hold these two men responsible for an epidemic that's really plaguing the entire country? That does not mean it will be an easy defense, says Josh Ritter. The former Los Angeles Assistant DA is advising Jan on legal issues and is now a practicing defense attorney. Josh Ritter: The problems that they're going to have, though, is … how do you get around … how those girls were treated afterwards. And how do you get around the history that this man has? And how do you get around the fact that Christy had the so-called date rape drug, GHB, in her system? Jonathan Vigliotti: Is GHB, is the date-rape drug something these women would have taken knowingly? Mary Fulginiti: Absolutely not … that is a drug that's usually used by sexual predators, guys that want to, you know, take advantage of women and don't want them to remember and know about it. Hilda and Christy were still coherent at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning when they exchanged that text about calling an Uber — the text punctuated with a wide-eyed emoji. Jan Cilliers: Something happened inside those 10 minutes between them calling the Uber and the Uber leaving that incapacitated them. According to the timeline in the affidavit, Christy remained in that apartment for the next 11 hours, Hilda for 13, with one of them, according to a neighbor, moaning and groaning in pain most of the day. Barry Telis: These two women could still be alive had David Pearce or Mr. Osborne called 911. Three digits on a phone. That could have changed everything. SEEKING JUSTICE If found guilty of all charges against him, David Pearce could face 128 years to life in prison. Jonathan Vigliotti: What is David Pearce currently charged with? Mary Fulginiti: David Pearce is charged with 11 counts, seven counts of drugging and sexually assaulting, forcibly raping and/or sodomizing several women, two counts of murder and two counts of providing a … controlled substance, that being fentanyl. In a bold decision, the state will combine the sexual assault and murder charges in one trial. Jonathan Vigliotti: Why include sexual assault charges in a murder case? Mary Fulginiti: If you look at this case in its totality, I mean, this is David Pearce's MO. … He lures women back to his apartment. He provides them with a drink. … And then they start to feel dizzy or they blackout, and he sexually assaults them. While Christy and Hilda's autopsy stated there was no physical or sexual trauma, nurses who treated Hilda noted slight bleeding in her vagina, and a review of her sexual assault examination found a small abrasion. Jonathan Vigliotti: I know this is a difficult conversation. Do you think Hilda and Christy were potentially raped that night? Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia: Of course, I believe that. … That's the reason why they drugged them. Josh Ritter believes the testimony of the women who were allegedly drugged and raped by Pearce will help jurors see a dangerous pattern of behavior. Josh Ritter: Their testimonies are going to be huge … one woman … perhaps the defense can poke holes in that. … Two women, it begins to sound like … is this really a coincidence or not? But three or four women or more and you realize you're dealing with … with a monster. It turns out David Pearce had been on the police radar for years. According to the police affidavit, he was arrested in 2014 for sexual assault, along with an additional rape case. But these cases are often difficult to prove and were ultimately rejected by the District Attorney's Office — something Christy's sister Misty finds unforgivable. Misty Weldon: To know that … he had been arrested and had been released … is just appalling to me … It's really sad that two beautiful girls had to die in order for him to be in jail right now. David Pearce has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. Brandt Osborn, who is charged as an accessory to murder after the fact, has also pleaded not guilty and is out on bail. '48 Hours' caught up with him outside of court. BRANDT OSBORN: I have no comment. I'm innocent. Pearce's lawyer also had no comment, but at the time of the incident, Pearce told detectives, 'At the end of the day, I didn't do anything wrong … I just tried to make the situation, you know, right.' So far, the prosecution has 'declined' to charge Michael Ansbach. '48 Hours' has learned that he's cooperating with prosecutors and will likely testify against his two friends. But until the case goes to trial, Dusty and Leslie Giles — thanks to a social media campaign — will be at every court hearing, never letting David Pearce forget that Christy was more than just a name on a court docket. Dusty Giles: She was a real person. She was a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter. She was her daddy's best friend. Leslie Giles: I miss my daughter. In Mexico, Hilda Marcela's friends and family cherish the mementos she left behind. A lock of hair. A diploma. Jonathan Vigliotti: So, she wasn't just smart. She was the top of her class. Luis Cabrales: She was the top of the top. And a dog named Tomas who now lives with Alan. Fernanda Cantisani: The love we have for Marce. … It's going to Tomas. … he reminds us about her so much. Alan Betancourt: And he has become my emotional support, my emotional fortress … Um, I would be very lost, so yeah. Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia: Here is always and will always be a hole and nothing can fill it … she loved to live. And I think that's the way we can honor her, living our lives in the best way. Dr. Hilda Marcela Arzola-Plascencia: This is a tragedy. But maybe this was the way to stop them. Jan Cilliers: That's the only justice we can get. On Feb. 4, 2025, David Pearce was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales. Jurors also found Pearce guilty of seven counts of sexual assault for the prior charges. The case against Brandt Osborn was declared a mistrial by the judge after jurors were deadlocked. Produced by Liza Finley. Alicia Tejada is the field producer. Michelle Fanucci, Greg Fisher, and Michelle Sigona are the development producers. Diana Modica, Michael Baluzy, Gregory F. McLaughlin and Gregory Kaplan are the editors. Lauren Turner Dunn is the associate producer. Anthony Batson is the senior broadcast producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer Jonathan Vigliotti Jonathan Vigliotti is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles. Vigliotti's reporting has taken him to more than three dozen countries and territories across six continents.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Antarctic scientists plead for help after ‘sexual assault and threats' by colleague
Scientists trapped in a remote Antarctic research station have called for urgent help after a colleague was accused of sexual assault and threatening to kill a team member. At least one member of the South African delegation has requested 'immediate action' amid allegations the unnamed man physically assaulted and threatened to kill one colleague, and sexually assaulted another. The 10-person team is trapped at the base by encroaching ice and weather as the southern hemisphere winter sets in at the remote Sanae IV base on a cliff edge about 105 miles inland from the ice shelf. Teams overwintering at the base are typically cut off for 10 months at a time. Sources told South Africa's Sunday Times that the only way to leave the base now was via emergency medical evacuation to a neighbouring German base about 190 miles away. An email sent last month to government officials warned of the alleged situation in the base and left officials scrambling to try to defuse tensions. South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, which manages the country's Antarctic research programme, said it was 'responding to these concerns with the utmost urgency and have had a number of interventions with all parties concerned at the base'. 'A full investigation is being commissioned and the department will act accordingly in relation to any wrong conduct against any official that has misconducted themselves.' The warning email from an unnamed member of staff alleged a colleague's behaviour had become 'increasingly egregious, and I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence'. 'It is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees. The email went on: 'Regrettably, [his] behaviour has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing. Specifically, he physically assaulted [name withheld], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norms. 'Furthermore, he threatened to kill [name withheld], creating an environment of fear and intimidation. 'I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim.' The email claimed 'numerous concerns' were raised about the man's conduct by the overwintering team before the SA Agulhas II ice-breaking research ship departed for the season and left them stranded. A source told the paper: 'They were informed of the situation [at Sanae IV] well in advance – way before the season closed .... Now there's nothing they can do as there are no planes or ships going to or leaving Antarctica.' 'They had all the time to remedy the situation but they simply buried their heads in the sand hoping that it'll go away. They were informed about the problem as early as December.' The alleged incidents have also raised questions about whether the team members were sufficiently psychologically screened to ensure they could endure the mental rigours of an Antarctic winter. This is not the first time South Africa's Antarctic research programme has encountered personnel problems. In 2017 a team member at Marion Island was accused of attacking a colleague with a frying pan in the kitchen, then trashing his room with an axe. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said it was monitoring the situation on a near daily basis and the team was being 'reassessed' by the expert who had originally given them psychometric tests. The team were also being given help with 'conflict resolution strategies, interpersonal skills improvement as well as overall counselling and support'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
