Festus Mogae, former president who prioritised HIV/AIDS fight, dies

GABORONE (AP):

Festus Mogae, Botswana’s former president who made the fight against HIV and AIDS a national priority during his tenure from 1998 to 2008, has died at the age of 86, the government said on Friday. No cause of death was given.

Botswana President Duma Boko said that under Mogae’s leadership, the country earned international respect for principled, sound economic management and a commitment to democracy. He said the country would observe three days of national mourning in honour of its former head of state.

Botswana, a sparsely populated and arid country in southern Africa, is the world’s largest producer of diamonds by value and the second largest by volume, behind Russia. Diamonds account for around 80 per cent of Botswana’s exports and a quarter of its gross domestic product, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Mogae is credited with championing the fight against HIV/AIDS in Botswana, which he made a national priority. He launched free access to antiretroviral drugs at public health facilities in 2002; the programme was extended to non-citizens in 2019.

This led to a significant decrease in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country, which at the time had one of the highest infection rates in the world.

Mr Boko said Mogae carried the name of Botswana with dignity across the world and remained a voice of reason, unity and progress throughout his life.

“Today Botswana mourns a distinguished statesman, a patriot whose life was devoted to the service of his country,” said Boko in an address to the nation.

Mogae won the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership — one of the most prestigious honours for African governance — recognising his democratic leadership and peaceful transfer of power.

Botswana has unearthed some of the world’s largest rough diamonds over the past decade, including a 2,492-carat stone discovered last year that was the second-largest diamond ever mined and the biggest in more than a century.

Mogae, an economist by profession, was governor of the Bank of Botswana before leading the country.