President Jacob Zuma needs to address the fundamentals required to meet the goal of providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to 80% of the people living with HIV/Aids by 2011, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday.

"Reality is slowly but steadily being enforced on President Zuma's administration," said the DA's Mike Waters in a statement.

"For much of his first few months in office, the South African public was treated to a series of promises and goals which distinguished themselves in spirit from President [Thabo] Mbeki's tenure, but in practice lacked the substance and foresight to make them reality."

Among the fundamentals needing attention were a lack of resources; funding - the programme is already running at a deficit of R1-billion; and management and logistical problems.

"Unless these fundamentals are addressed any plan will be dead in the water."

Waters said people living with HIV have had their hopes lifted and their hopes would now be diminished.

"If the government cannot run a programme of this importance and size effectively and efficiently how does it envision managing the National Health Insurance Scheme, a proposal which dwarfs the antiretroviral roll-out programme both in terms of its practical implications and the financial management necessary to make it work."

Last week Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said South Africahad wasted too much time "debating" the pandemic.

South Africa wanted to reach 80% of the people who needed treatment with antiretroviral drugs by 2011.

"That will mean 2,3-million people. At the moment, we have 700 000 [people on ARVs] and the country is already feeling the weight.

"If we were to increase that number to 2,3-million, I mean, that is scary, that is like climbing Mount Everest without oxygen," he said.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that already one province has had to reduce the provision of ARVs, and unless the budget was supplemented by additional funds, other provinces might run out of money by next month.

"We have discussed it with Treasury, calculated the costs and I have already met international funders. We are waiting and hoping that there is no chance of the actual shortfall happening."

Motsoaledi was also exploring providing ARVs to patients as soon as they were diagnosed as HIV-positive and raising the CD4 count of 200 to 350 for starting the medication, Reuters reported.