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Clinton and Mandela walk hand in hand before a news conference in Cape Town Friday Clinton, Mandela agree to disagree
In this story:
- Mandela won't 'betray those who helped us'
- Trade disagreement
- Mandela jail site visited
- Related stories and sites
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNN) -- Despite praising President Clinton for his "correct instincts" on international matters, South African President Nelson Mandela on Friday warned that anyone who criticizes his ties to Cuba and Libya "can go and throw themselves into a pool."
A meeting between the two leaders at Mandela's Tuynhuys (Garden House) office alongside Parliament ran an hour over schedule. Later, they held a joint news conference during which Mandela:
President Clinton's and President Mandela's statements
VXtreme streaming video (22:30)
The two leaders answer questions from journalists
Offered a vigorous defense of his loyalties to countries that supported him in his battles against South Africa's apartheid era of white minority rule. He noted that, as he is now receiving Clinton, he has also received Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani.
"I do that because of a moral authority ... that we should not abandon those who helped us in the darkest hour of the history of this country," Mandela said. "They gave us the resources for us to conduct the struggle and to win."
302K/28 sec. AIFF or WAV sound
Uganda:
Battling AIDS
Senegal:
Unshackling history
Rwanda:
The genocide and after
Ghana:
An economy in shambles
Botswana:
Making hay of ivory
South Africa:
Combating crime"Those South Africans who berate me for being loyal to our friends, literally they can go and throw themselves into a pool. I am not going to betray the trust of those who helped us."
Mandela did not say whether Clinton tried to sway him in his political alliances. But the South African leader called for elections even in nations "where there are no popular institutions at all, but they are able to look after their people."
- Said he has "high respect" for Clinton and praised him for support even before Mandela became president, but noted that deep differences remain. "But I'd like to declare that, when we have differed on an issue, at the end of that my respect for him is enhanced," Mandela said.
- Called Clinton's visit a "high water mark" in U.S.-African relations, and said he respects the fact that Clinton and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, "whatever mistakes they have made," are trying to change those relations for the better.
"President Clinton, as well as the first lady, Hillary, they have the correct instincts on the major international questions facing the world today. For that reason, I hold him ... in high respect."
Trade disagreement
Mandela and Clinton tour Robben Island prison Friday Also at the news conference, Clinton:
- Said it is in America's "profound interest to support the positive changes in Africa's life." He said the change is most evident in South Africa.
- Called Mandela's rise from prison to the presidency "one of the true heroic stories of the 20th century" and praised him as a man who "emerged not in anger but in hope, passion and determination to put things right in reconciliation and harmony."
The two leaders noted a burgeoning trade partnership they hope will spread prosperity to other African economies. But Mandela said he opposed legislation in the U.S. Congress aimed at increasing trade with African nations while reducing U.S. aid.
Clinton defended the Africa Growth and Opportunity Bill, currently before the U.S. Senate. "If the bill becomes law it will increase the access of all African nations to the American market," he said.
And, Clinton added, countries that show commitment to democratic and economic reforms will benefit most under the proposed legislation.
The two leaders left unresolved the question of South African support for Clinton's plan to build a United Nations-led peacekeeping force for Africa. Mandela said he supports the premise, but could not participate in military exercises under outside command.
Mandela jail site visited
Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years as a political prisoner at Robben Island Also on Friday:
- The two presidents visited Robben Island, the jail off Cape Town where Mandela was held in a cell for 18 of his 27 years as a political prisoner during the apartheid era.
- Mandela planned to present Clinton with South Africa's highest honor, the Order of Good Hope. Mandela has given the same tribute to Gadhafi. "The president will accept that in the great spirit that it's given," White House spokesman Mike McCurry said.
Johannesburg Bureau Chief Mike Hanna, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Special section:
Newsmaker profiles:
- Bill Clinton - U.S. President
- Nelson Mandela - South African President
Related stories:
- Clinton, Mandela chart new relationship - March 27, 1998
- Clinton addresses a South Africa 'truly free at last' - March 26, 1998
- Albright touts U.S. bond with South Africa - December 13, 1997
- Mandela revisits notorious South African jail - March 20, 1997
- Mandela's cell now a shrine to political miracles - March 2, 1997
Related sites:
- Government of South Africa - official site
- Parliament of South Africa
- African National Congress
- Embassy of South Africa in Washington D.C.
- U.S. State Department - Bureau of African Affairs
- Main Street South Africa
- Mail & Guardian - South African newspaper
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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