He was asked among other things: - why it was necessary for members of the African National Congress now to work with and vote for the ANC-New National Party coalition considering the National Party's history of oppression; - whether it was possible to give a special grant to HIV/Aids sufferers; - why he had come to Worcester just a few months before elections; and - whether he would reconsider the state's continued criminalisation of dagga.
"That's fine, the rest of us will work with the New National Party. If he doesn't want to, it's all right," said Mbeki, to an ANC member who stated "categorically" that he would not work with NNP.
Turning to the issue raised by an Aids activist, who contrary to recent criticism, had glowingly endorsed what the government had done to provide succour to Aids sufferers, Mbeki said the activist had raised a number of very important issues.
"(But) when the disability grant is given there are particular processes, checked by doctors... and we can't intervene" in the grant system without setting up a new system said Mbeki.
The activist said the only grant HIV/Aids sufferers could receive was the disability grant, but this had a means test, which meant only people in the advanced stages of the disease could get the grant, often when it was too late.
"One of the things I noticed... was that this area had the highest incidence of TB. I didn't know that," said Mbeki who had been alerted to the fact by a medical practitioner at the meeting.
"But nobody follows me (to ask about this disease)..." he said.
On why he had come to Worcester when he was coming to the end of his term as president, Mbeki said the reason he had come was to listen to the people.
"The reason is because you elected the government, we did not elect ourselves".
He said that the elections were in 2004 and he did not "know who will be the president of South Africa next year".
Mbeki did not respond to the legalisation of dagga.
Other questions included racism in rural areas, unemployment, evictions, land reform and youth development.
Earlier yesterday Mbeki spoke at the Groote Kerk in Cape Town, which according dominee Johan Botes was at one time seen as the "bastion of Afrikanerdom".
"God has given us an opportunity not to be hateful, not to hate one another," said Botes in a sermon.
Taking up the reconciliation theme espoused first by Botes, and then by premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Mbeki said there were many conflicts in Africa and across the globe.
"Something strange about our country not being part of this conflict... (we) are in a situation where it would be natural to expect that there will be conflict among one another... instead countries from around the world - Sri Lanka, Iraq, Columbia - call on South Africans to please help solve their problems".
Mbeki said that what was happening in South Africa was giving inspiration to the rest of the world.
He said meeting people over the past three days of the imbizo had given him the impression that the people of the Western Cape were saying to the rest of the country that it was possible to work together to create something new.
"Let us continue to do this thing which it seems we are good at... The flight from chaos and selfishness towards this caring society which all of us need". – Sapa.
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