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U.N. Aids Conference: South African President's Absence Stirs Controversy

Aired June 26, 2001 - 11:32   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Health experts and world diplomats both are questioning the South African president's decision to skip the AIDS conference. After all, his country has more HIV and AIDS patients than any other. And sub-Saharan Africa is the world's hardest-hit region. It's posted almost 2.5 million AIDS-related deaths in the year 2000.

We are going to bring in senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth to talk a little bit more about this.

Richard, it was interesting: The president talked about -- that he and fellow politicians are making efforts to combat AIDS, but didn't give any specifics.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Well, the United States also has not been giving much specifics on how much money it is going to give more the original seed money of $200 million into a U.N. fund -- but for South Africa's president, a lot of heat on his position on AIDS.

Of course, last year he drew a withering amount of criticism for not exactly agreeing with established medical decisions that the HIV virus caused AIDS. He's backtracked a bit from that. But he's always not gone along with the flow, the general, accepted medical views and certainly a lot of the other world leaders of Africa.

He is not here at this AIDS conference. It's a three-day event, the first time ever the General Assembly of the U.N. is holding a meeting on a health crisis instead of general political matters. There are leaders here from Mozambique, from Senegal, from Ghana, from Rwanda. He's not here. U.N. officials are certainly not happy. They think it sends a very bad signal.

Now, a South African delegation is here. They've been meeting with various governments. Today, this morning, in New York, the South African health minister met with Japan's representative.

And afterwards, South Africa's health minister was asked by CNN exactly why Mr. Mbeki wasn't here and its impact on the delegation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANTO TSHABALALA, SOUTH AFRICA MINISTER OF HEALTH: They give us the money to be here. All of the government gave us the money to be here. And he -- we report with him. And I think that's (INAUDIBLE) perhaps reporting to him after this -- in fact, while (INAUDIBLE) tell what is really happening. And we're also reporting back to South Africa on the issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: Of course, the microphone is not allowed into these U.N. bilateral meetings, despite the U.N.'s attempt to spread -- make a very open meeting. So that's why the audio there is a little difficult -- but, basically, the minister saying: He gave us a mandate and we will report to him -- back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Richard Roth, live from the conference, thank you so much.

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