Issued by: Office of the President
In the light of press reports concerning the death of a child after being turned away from the Kliptown Clinic, the Office of the President wishes to make it clear that at no time did the President ever intend to attend the opening of the clinic. The clinic did invite the President, in an invitation which reached his personal office on 23 April. It was declined in a telephone call to the clinic at about noon on that day.
The attempt to exploit an invitation that was declined by associating the President with the death of the child, and the readiness of the media to accept this without taking even the most elementary steps to verify the claims, is deeply disturbing.
29 April 1998
Issued by Office of the President For further enquiries, contact Priscilla Naido: 082 555 8339