Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - Sunday 02 December 2001
Edwin Lombard
Speaking at an Aids Day function in Crossroads, Cape Town, yesterday, he said: "One of the most important things . . . is that the head of state and the first lady must be in the forefront of the campaign to fight this disease.
"Like President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, and the president of Botswana. These presidents themselves are leading the campaign about Aids.
"They pick up children with Aids, together with their first ladies. Every day they make certain that every minister who delivers a speech must spend five minutes talking about Aids."
Mandela was responding to a question from a pupil who asked what could be done to make sure HIV/Aids was not only prevented but wiped out completely.
Later, Mandela pointed out that because of President Thabo Mbeki's busy schedule, it had fallen to Deputy President Jacob Zuma to lead the government's campaign against Aids. Mbeki's spokesman, Bheki Khumalo, confirmed that the President had entrusted Zuma with the fight against Aids.
Mandela also urged the government to work with pharmaceutical companies to ensure that cheap Aids drugs were provided to patients.
He encouraged parents to discuss sex with their children, saying the reluctance to talk about sex and the myths surrounding the disease were among the biggest problems.
Mandela yesterday accused "sections of the press" of trying to drive a wedge between himself and Mbeki.
Speaking at the opening of the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, Mandela said he had been shocked by a phone call from Mbeki's office about reports that he had slammed the President.
He said it should be understood that Mbeki was "busy with Africa and countries beyond . . . and as a result he cannot concentrate on the problems of this country because he has got these duties as well, which are absolutely necessary".
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