Thousands Of Mourners Line The Streets Of South Africa To Pay Their Final Respect To The Former President Of South Africa Nelson Mandela

Thousands of mourners line the Streets of South Africa to pay their final respect to the former President Of South Africa Nelson Mandela. They looked on as his hearse with the coffin wrapped in the South African flag drove by from hospital to the government's Union Buildings where it will lie in state for three days.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell wept when she joined mourners viewing Nelson Mandela's casket as the great former president of South Africa lies in state in the country's capital Pretoria.

This morning Mandela's grandson Mandla visited the open casket of his grandfather, followed by his second wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and third wife Graca Machel, as well as South Africa's current president Jacob Zuma.

Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe also joined the crowds at the viewing.

Winnie Mandela was dressed in black as she went to see the casket of her ex-husband -

Saying goodbye: Ms Machel touches her husband's casket as junior naval officers stand guard

U2 singer Bono was another visitor to the site, as well as world leaders such as Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa and South African dictator Robert Mugabe. F.W. de Klerk, Mandela's deputy, also paid tribute to the global icon.

Sombre: Bono went to pay his respects to the late leader along with his wife Ali Hewson, left, and Mandela's former assistant Zelda le Grange, right

 

Via: Daily Mail

Uganda President's Very Public HIV Test. Will You Test Next?

Finally we have political leaders who are making the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa a priority. We applaud the openness of some African leaders like President Jacob Zuma and President Yoweri Musevni publicly testing and leading the way in tackling HIV.

Ugandan officials have said they want to test 15 million people by the end of 2014 in a campaign led by the Uganda AIDS Commission. "Therefore, all Ugandans, test (for HIV). Find out your status and let the state and health workers manage you accordingly," said President Yoweri Museveni.
Leading by example is a good thing and will lessen the stigma around these HIV tests and perhaps encourage Ugandans to find out their HIV status through testing. Maybe the campaign also just might persuade people to get off the sexual network, who knows.

 

President Jacob Zuma revealed his HIV results at launch of a similar HIV testing campaign in Johannesburg back in 2010 which aimed to reach nearly one in three South Africans. It was his fourth HIV test and he was negative. The campaign led by SA National AIDS Council, also aimed to reach 15 million people by June 2011 by offering free tests at public clinics, and at discount pharmacies including Clicks using government-supplied testing kits.

I hope this popular mobilisation around HIV counselling and testing will reach millions of Ugandans as planned.