Mbeki addresses HIV comments in latest letter
Former president Thabo Mbeki believes his controversial stance on Aids and HIV posed valid questions that have not been answered to this day.
Mbeki has, in the latest in a series of letters, dealt with the issue of his HIV-aids policies.
Experts believe these policies cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Mbeki came under fire during his time as President for his comments about HIV and Aids and was accused of denialism.
"I must also mention that I never said "HIV does not cause AIDS". This false accusation was made by people who benefitted from trumpeting the slogan "HIV causes AIDS" as though this was a religious edict. What I said is that "a virus cannot cause a syndrome"," he said in the letter.
In the letter, Mbeki said he stands by everything he said during his time in office.
The former president said he wants to know why South Africans are affected by a particular type of HIV which is unique to South Africa.
He also said in 2006 HIV was the ninth leading cause of death in South Africa and questioned why government needed to treat the other eight as less urgent and important.
Mbeki said the importance of nutrition and the need to use antiretroviral drugs with great care was always emphasised.