Mandela to meet finance leaders

2005-01-30 09:58

Johannesburg - Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela is to weave some of his trademark "Mandela magic" to rally support for a global anti-poverty drive at a finance meeting of the world's richest countries in London this week.

The charismatic former president has been invited by the British-based Make Poverty History charity coalition to endorse its campaign and to make a plea for massive aid for Africa to finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) club of rich nations starting on Friday.

"He'll be able to put pressure on world leaders," said Ben Miller, spokesperson for Action AID, one of the charity organisations in the coalition.

Mandela was invited to lend his unrivaled international prestige to a British-led effort to convince rich nations to make 2005 the year for helping Africa.

"He'll also appeal to the rest of the population in this country and around the world, as one of the world's greatest heroes, to send a clear signal that this is the year to make a real difference, to make a change," Miller told AFP by phone from London.

The Nobel peace laureate will address a crowd in Trafalgar Square in London on Thursday to rally support for the anti-poverty campaign which aims at pressing world leaders into committing more aid to the poor, enacting fair trade and debt relief.

During a meeting with British finance minister Gordon Brown in South Africa two weeks ago, Mandela agreed to travel to London to support the British push before the Group of Eight for a "Marshall Plan" for Africa.

"He (Mandela) has kindly agreed to come to London to plead the case for more aid, debt relief, and fair trade for African countries," said Brown during a visit to a Cape Town township.

British High Commissioner to South Africa Ann Grant said Mandela in his meeting with Brown "was very clear that he was a big supporter of the approach and would do anything he could to help promote it".

Private meeting

Diplomatic sources said Mandela was to hold a private meeting with the finance ministers ahead of the official G7 talks to provide him with the opportunity to use his clout to win commitments from them.

African finance ministers last month called on the G7 to reach agreement on a multi-billion dollar debt relief package for Africa at the London meeting.

"Given the urgency and the need for immediate action, we urge the G8 to begin immediately and in particular for G7 finance ministers to reach agreement on 100% multilateral debt relief at their fourth February meeting," the finance ministers said.

The 15 ministers were meeting under the auspices of the Commission for Africa set up by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to tackle poverty on the continent.

Britain this year holds the leadership of the G8 - the G7 plus Russia - and of the European Union and has pledged to use its position to seek debt relief and smash trade barriers.

Miller said Mandela was the perfect person to help the Make Poverty History group "really push on Blair and Brown to make real their promises".

It would not be the first time that Mandela uses what is described in South Africa as his "Madiba magic" - Madiba is his clan name - to secure support.

- AFP