Madiba announces Aids concert

Published in HIV/Aids News, edition of 5 September
29/08/2007

London - Former president Nelson Mandela has on Wednesday announced a giant benefit concert to be held in London next June to promote his 46664 campaign against HIV/Aids.

The gig will take place in Hyde Park on June 28 to mark his 90th birthday the following month, Mandela said at the unveiling of a statue of him in London's Parliament Square.

The campaign, named after Mandela's prison number during his 27-year incarceration, aims to raise awareness of the HIV/Aids pandemic, which is rife in sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa is one of the countries worst-hit by HIV with prevalence standing at 18.4% in 2006 and 5.41 million people living with the illness.

Mandela told the crowd in Parliament Square that Oliver Tambo, his late fellow anti-apartheid leader, would have been proud had he lived to see the statue.

"We thank the British people once again for their relentless efforts in supporting us during the dark years," he said.

Hyde Park is no stranger to giant concerts, having already hosted the Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd, Luciano Pavarotti, The Who, Eric Clapton and Red Hot Chili Peppers. It also hosted London's Live 8 concert against global poverty in 2005.