Mandela's son dies of AIDS at 54

[HamdenRice]

I am at a complete loss for words at the extent to which this plague is ravaging South Africa -- except to be grateful once again for the courage, honesty and integrity of perhaps the only hero-politician of our age, Nelson Mandela:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/01/06/mandela.son.reut/index.html
Mandela's son dies of AIDS at 54

Thursday, January 6, 2005 Posted: 10:03 AM EST (1503 GMT)


JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- South Africa's Nelson Mandela, one of Africa's most committed campaigners in the battle against AIDS, announced that his only surviving son had succumbed to the disease Thursday.

Makgatho Mandela, 54, died in a Johannesburg clinic where he had been receiving treatment for more than a month. His wife Zondi died in 2003 from pneumonia.

"I announce that my son has died of AIDS," the 86-year-old Nobel Peace laureate told a news conference, urging a redoubled fight against the disease.

"Let us give publicity to HIV/AIDS and not hide it, because the only way to make it appear like a normal illness like TB, like cancer, is always to come out and to say somebody has died because of HIV/AIDS. And people will stop regarding it as something extraordinary," said a frail-looking Mandela, surrounded by his grandchildren and other family members.

<edited for link>

[bluedeminredstate]

1. God bless this man!!

He is a true hero! I send my sympathies b/c this must be gutting for him.
:cry:

[Moderator]

2. duplicate topic, please discuss here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1126114