Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - July 20, 2003
Ranjeni Munusamy
Delivering the inaugural Nelson Mandela lecture in Johannesburg yesterday, Clinton said Aids was a humanitarian crisis that had derailed economic development. "Outside the US and Brazil, 40 million people are infected but only 40 000 to 50 000 are getting medication. We are not doing enough ," he said.
The Clinton Foundation was working to increase the number of people receiving anti-Aids drugs, and was also part of a World Health Organisation initiative to broker the sale of generic medicines.
"Nelson Mandela and I have been working on this ever since I left office as part of the International Aids Trust," Clinton said.
Introducing Clinton yesterday, Graca Machel said the lecture - part of a series of events to celebrate Mandela's birthday - is to become an annual event to salute her husband's legacy. It would be a forum for dialogue on challenging social issues and would be held every year in the week of Mandela's birthday.
She said Clinton, who was accompanied by his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea, was a "very, very good friend of Madiba".
In an emotional speech, Clinton told of his and his family's close bond with Mandela, and the support the former President had given them "on dark and sunny days".
"This is what a man should look like when he is 85. I hope I look that good when I'm 60," Clinton quipped.
Clinton also voiced support for more debt relief for African countries. He talked on Friday to "another of Madiba's great friends", U2 singer Bono, about including Nigeria and South Africa on the list of countries that should be given debt relief .
The South African economy was taking strain because of Aids and the spillover from the Zimbabwean crisis, Clinton said.
He said African countries needed to be assisted to fight terror and strengthen legal institutions, and with peacekeeping operations. Spreading democracy was another challenge.
Clinton ended his address with a vow to Mandela to spend "whatever time I have on this earth" to carry out his vision for Africa's development, particularly by helping children.
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