Former South African president Nelson Mandela on Wednesday announced a giant benefit concert in London next June to promote his 46664 campaign against HIV/Aids.
The gig will take place in Hyde Park on June 27 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.
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.
”We remember the Free Mandela campaign and the time we gathered in 1990 at Wembley Stadium following our release from jail.
”We are proud to announce that in celebration of my 90th birthday next year my international Aids campaign, called 46664, will once again call on you as a British nation to gather.
”On the 27th of June 2008, 46664 will host a concert in Hyde Park.
”I want very much to be back in London to attend this concert and I hope to see you there.”
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.
The four 46664 concerts already held so far were in November 2003 in Cape Town; March 2005 in George, South Africa; April-May 2005 in Madrid and June 2005 in Tromso, Norway.
Mandela lost a son to Aids in January 2005. — Sapa-AFP