Former South African President Nelson Mandela says his son has died of AIDS.
In a news conference outside his home in Johannesburg, Mr. Mandela said his only surviving son, Makgatho Mandela, passed away earlier Thursday. He was 54.
The Nobel peace prize winner said the world must redouble its fight against AIDS. Mr. Mandela has been an active figure in the fight against the deadly pandemic.
Relatives of Mr. Mandela said his son had been in critical condition for several days. They said the former president had spent a lot of time at his ailing son's bedside.
Makgatho Mandela was the son of the former president and his first wife, Evelyn Mase, whom he divorced in the late 1950's.
Another son died in a car accident in 1969.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
