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CNN Live At Daybreak

President Bush Makes Stop in Botswana

Aired July 10, 2003 - 06:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush's latest stop on his Africa trip is Botswana, a country where more than a third of the people are HIV positive.
White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports from that country's capital this morning for us.

Hello -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred (ph).

President Bush arrived here just within the hour or so. He is really here to highlight some of the trade initiatives with Africa. He's going to be meeting with Botswana's president, as well as some business leaders. But the president was greeted very warmly at the airport, crowds cheering and playing music.

It is really seen as a big success, a shining success here in Botswana. This is one of the countries here. It is the world largest producers of diamonds. It is stable. It is a shining example of democracy -- that, according to White House officials.

But one of the other reasons that the president is visiting Botswana, of course, is because of the economic and human toll that AIDS has really taken on this community and in this country. According to the United Nations, it has the largest number of people infected by the AIDS virus. They say it's anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of the population. Life expectancy here is 35 to 39 years old.

Now, in this country, the government has a unique partnership with the Gates Foundation, as well as drug companies, to provide free medicine, AIDS medicine, to all those who are infected in the country. This is an 18-month program that has really just begun. It's aiding about 7,000 residents in Botswana.

As you know, President Bush highlighting his own initiative, a $15 billion, five-year plan. The funding of that, of course, not yet determined whether or not just how much Congress is going to pass on that.

And, Fred (ph), I should also let you know as well, the president later today is going to be visiting a game reserve. This is one of these places where they actually have the white rhino, the elephants, giraffes, where they're trying to protect the endangered species. It's a place where they actually feed the animals, not exactly the wild kingdom, but certainly an example, a shining example, of how they're trying to conserve the wildlife here as well -- Fred (ph).

WHITFIELD: And, Suzanne, I know you described and showed us the pictures of the reception that President Bush is getting. But how is that comparing to the reception that former President Clinton got?

MALVEAUX: That's a very good question. I was actually here covering that Clinton visit. This was in 1998, and we were actually at this very site in Botswana, and it is markedly different. You see that there are some crowds who are supporting the president. A lot of places where you go you do not see nearly as many people, the kinds of crowds that you saw for President Clinton. There have been some protests along the way.

I've been talking to people, asking, why is this? They say, well, they're quite skeptical of President Bush's initiatives. They do not know whether or not to believe that this is really humanitarian or whether or not -- some people say they believe that it could be for Africa's oil, that they're really self-serving interests.

And so, that is something that many Africans, those here in Botswana as well, are waiting to see whether or not the U.S. really delivers the goods, whether or not they're sincere. It is fair to say there are a healthy number of skeptics for this trip.

WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president this time in Botswana.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired July 10, 2003 - 06:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush's latest stop on his Africa trip is Botswana, a country where more than a third of the people are HIV positive.
White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux reports from that country's capital this morning for us.

Hello -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fred (ph).

President Bush arrived here just within the hour or so. He is really here to highlight some of the trade initiatives with Africa. He's going to be meeting with Botswana's president, as well as some business leaders. But the president was greeted very warmly at the airport, crowds cheering and playing music.

It is really seen as a big success, a shining success here in Botswana. This is one of the countries here. It is the world largest producers of diamonds. It is stable. It is a shining example of democracy -- that, according to White House officials.

But one of the other reasons that the president is visiting Botswana, of course, is because of the economic and human toll that AIDS has really taken on this community and in this country. According to the United Nations, it has the largest number of people infected by the AIDS virus. They say it's anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of the population. Life expectancy here is 35 to 39 years old.

Now, in this country, the government has a unique partnership with the Gates Foundation, as well as drug companies, to provide free medicine, AIDS medicine, to all those who are infected in the country. This is an 18-month program that has really just begun. It's aiding about 7,000 residents in Botswana.

As you know, President Bush highlighting his own initiative, a $15 billion, five-year plan. The funding of that, of course, not yet determined whether or not just how much Congress is going to pass on that.

And, Fred (ph), I should also let you know as well, the president later today is going to be visiting a game reserve. This is one of these places where they actually have the white rhino, the elephants, giraffes, where they're trying to protect the endangered species. It's a place where they actually feed the animals, not exactly the wild kingdom, but certainly an example, a shining example, of how they're trying to conserve the wildlife here as well -- Fred (ph).

WHITFIELD: And, Suzanne, I know you described and showed us the pictures of the reception that President Bush is getting. But how is that comparing to the reception that former President Clinton got?

MALVEAUX: That's a very good question. I was actually here covering that Clinton visit. This was in 1998, and we were actually at this very site in Botswana, and it is markedly different. You see that there are some crowds who are supporting the president. A lot of places where you go you do not see nearly as many people, the kinds of crowds that you saw for President Clinton. There have been some protests along the way.

I've been talking to people, asking, why is this? They say, well, they're quite skeptical of President Bush's initiatives. They do not know whether or not to believe that this is really humanitarian or whether or not -- some people say they believe that it could be for Africa's oil, that they're really self-serving interests.

And so, that is something that many Africans, those here in Botswana as well, are waiting to see whether or not the U.S. really delivers the goods, whether or not they're sincere. It is fair to say there are a healthy number of skeptics for this trip.

WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux traveling with the president this time in Botswana.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.