Mandela hopes son's death helps end Aids stigma

Nelson Mandela announced his eldest son had died of Aids-related complications today, saying that the only way to fight the disease’s stigma was to speak openly about it.

Lawyer Makgatho Mandela, aged 54, was admitted to a private clinic in Johannesburg last month.

“Let us give publicity to HIV/Aids and not hide it because the only way of making it appear to be a normal illness just like TB, like cancer, is always to come out and say somebody has died of HIV,” a frail Mandela, surrounded by his family, said at a news conference.

His position contrasts with that of other prominent South Africans, including President Thabo Mbeki, who has denied knowing anyone who has died of HIV/Aids. Mandela declined to comment on Mbeki’s views.

“I hope that as time goes on, we realize that it is important for us to talk openly about people who die of Aids,” Mandela said.

Former South African president Mandela was surrounded by sombre relatives, including Makgatho’s two sisters and two of his sons.

Makgatho Mandela was one of four children – two daughters and two sons – from Mandela’s first marriage to Evelyn Mase, who died in May, aged 82.

A daughter died in 1948 before she was a year old, and another son was killed in a car crash in 1969 while Mandela was in prison. Mandela was jailed for 27 years under apartheid.

Mandela has had two other wives since divorcing Mase in 1955, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Graca Machel. He had two daughters with Madikizela-Mandela.

Last year, Makgatho Mandela’s wife, Zondi, died of pneumonia. He is survived by three sons.