PRETORIA - Canada and other rich industrialized nations have a moral obligation to finance Africa's economic revival because the continent was exploited for decades by colonial powers, says Nelson Mandela, the former South African president.
At a meeting yesterday with Jean Chrétien, Mr. Mandela said Group of Eight nations have a duty to help battle the scourge of AIDS and repair the damages inflicted on Africa's people and natural resources during the colonial era, when European powers, including Britain, France, Italy and Germany, ruled the continent.
"Africa does not want charity, they want assistance," said Mr. Mandela, who spent 28 years in prison under apartheid before becoming president in 1994, following the end of white minority rule.
"We expect that [assistance], because the colonial powers have exploited the continent, and it is time now that they put those resources back for the development of the continent."
Mr. Chrétien and Mr. Mandela's hastily arranged meeting was almost cancelled because of the Prime Minister's decision to interrupt his tour of Africa to attend today's funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in London.
Mr. Chrétien cut off reporters' questions to Mr. Mandela at a morning photo session, even though the former president appeared willing to continue discussing the economic and health crises facing the continent.
Mr. Mandela, who was awarded honourary Canadian citizenship last November, politely deferred to the Canadian Prime Minister and joked that "it would be treason" to defy Mr. Chrétien's wishes.
"I am a citizen of Canada, and therefore I can't not obey my leader," Mr. Mandela said.
The Prime Minister's officials said they were pressed for time and had earlier cautioned that the elderly Mandela might not feel well enough to speak with Canadian media travelling in Mr. Chrétien's entourage.
But despite the meeting's 7 a.m. start, Mr. Mandela seemed vibrant and warmed to queries about the need for an African renaissance.
Mr. Mandela praised efforts by Mr. Chrétien to build political dialogue with African leaders in advance of the Group of Eight summit this June in Kananaskis, Alta., where industrialized countries will endorse a long-term plan for Africa's revival.
In his retirement, Mr. Mandela has become active in Africa's fight against AIDS and has challenged controversial views held by his successor, Thabo Mbeki, who has questioned the disease's link to the HIV virus. G-8 countries last year pledged $2-billion to help stop the spread of the disease, but Mr. Mandela said more is needed.
"One of the greatest problems that we have is the lack of resources," he said.
Beyond treatment of AIDS itself, African governments need money for education to eliminate cultural taboos that hamper public discussion about safe sex, condoms and promiscuity, he said.
The rapid spread of the virus threatens the country's social infrastructure and it has been predicted that life expectancy will fall from 60 years to 40 years by 2008.
There has been little indication of what form the G-8 development package will take, although African leaders say $64-billion in public and private investment is needed.
Mr. Chrétien has stressed humanitarian aid to Africa will continue, but a larger share of funding and investment will be awarded to countries that show progress on democratic and human rights reforms.
The failure of the Zimbabwe elections, however, has some Western nations worried African leaders are not ready to embrace the reforms required to attract investment. Several leaders sided with dictator Robert Mugabe, despite evidence of corruption in last month's voting.
However, Mr. Chrétien and Mr. Mandela argue that a new generation of leaders -- including Mr. Mbeki and Olusegon Obasanjo, Nigeria's president -- are making progress towards stability and democracy on the continent.
"Today the continent has accepted democratic values and democratic government," Mr. Mandela said. "Those countries which are still having one-party states and dictatorships are few and far between."
Mr. Chrétien hailed Mr. Mbeki and Mr. Obasanjo, a former military leader who won election in 1999, as "emerging" leaders who can pressure reluctant regimes to implement reforms.
Mr. Chrétien resumes his Africa tour tomorrow in Ethiopia.
salberts@nationalpost.com
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