Mbeki rebukes Mandela over Aids call

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki has rebuked his predecessor, Nelson Mandela, for calling for drugs to be made available to the millions of South Africans suffering from HIV.

On a tour of Cape Town townships Mr Mandela, 83, urged heads of state and their wives "to be at the forefront of the campaign to fight Aids". He named the presidents of Botswana, Uganda and Senegal as good examples.

The former president's remarks were controversial, as the South African government has resisted giving anti-retroviral drugs to people with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that leads to Aids, and because President Mbeki has refused to accept the extent of the Aids crisis.

Last week, as the United Nations said it believed five million South Africans were infected with HIV, campaigners began a court action to compel the government to offer pregnant women the drugs that reduce mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

Mr Mandela was joined on the tour on Saturday to mark World Aids Day by the former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, who said: "Drugs must be available. It is silly to hold on to positions that are untenable. The President's position is undermining his stature in the world."

After Mr Mandela's visits to the townships, he received a telephone call from the President's office, reportedly making it clear Mr Mbeki might see the comments as critical.

Mr Mandela played down any split. He said: "Sections of the press are mischievously trying to drive a wedge between me and my President. They know I never criticise my President."

Mr Mbeki did not attend any World Aids Day functions and spent the day with his party's national executive committee.