CAPE TOWN, Dec 1 (AFP) - Making an implicit dig at his successor Thabo Mbeki, former South African President Nelson Mandela on Saturday praised world leaders who actively sought to combat AIDS, particularly African presidents.
"Countries that have succeeded in bringing down the levels of AIDS are those where the president of the country takes the lead," Mandela told reporters.
Mandela, 83, said he had used engagements earlier in the day to mark World AIDS Day to single out Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.
The Ugandan and Senegalese leaders had "gone out in their countries and concentrated on mobilising the communities to understand how to fight AIDS", he said.
Museveni and the Ugandan first lady were seen "walking around the country picking up people with AIDS and giving them love and support," Mandela said.
Mbeki has attracted wide criticism for saying in the past he did not believe the HIV virus was the cause of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. His country is one of the worst affected in the world by the disease.
While insisting that he was not in any way criticising Mbeki, Mandela said: "After praising Museveni and President Wade I said our president and deputy president are doing the same thing, but the difficulty with the president is that he is busy with Africa and countries beyond."
"As a result he can not concentrate on the problems of this country because he has got these duties as well, which are absolutely necessary."
Mandela added: "Some sections of the press mischievously are trying to drive a wedge between me and my president... They know I never criticise the president."
A total of 4.7 million South Africans, or one in nine people in the country, are believed to be either suffering from AIDS or infected with HIV.
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