Mandela to Tour North America

South African President Nelson Mandela's visit to Harvard to receive a rare non-Commencement honorary degree is just one of a number of activities that will have the octogenarian statesman crisscrossing the east coast and Canada.

While in North America, Mandela will receive numerous honors and meet with heads of state.

Daniel Ngwepe, spokesman for the South African embassy in Washington, said the swift pace of activity is President Mandela's own choice. However, down time is built into his schedule.

"At 80 years old you can't expect him to be running around like that," Ngwepe said. Still, Ngwepe acknowledged, Mandela is responding to a tremendous demand for his presence.

Mandela just completed what Ngwepe termed a "wrenching" trip to Mauritius, part of a recent surge in appearances as his 1999 retirement date approaches.

Mandela arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday accompanied by his new wife Graca Machel, widow of former Mozambique Prime Minister Samora Machel, and the South African Foreign Minister, Alfred Nzo.

Mandela began his series of appearances yesterday when he accompanied Machel to a ceremony at the United Nations honoring her work researching the impact of war on children and fighting to ban anti-personnel mines in her native Mozambique.

This morning Mandela was scheduled to attend a business breakfast in New York hosted by David Rockefeller, the donor behind Harvard's Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, before flying to Harvard for today's ceremonies.

Mandela will address the UN General Assembly on Monday, followed by a special meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

On September 22, he will receive the Congressional Gold Medal, America's highest civilian honor, in Washington. The award will be presented by the Congress and the Clinton Administration, with President Clinton scheduled to attend.

According to Ngwepe, officials hope to have Mandela and Clinton meet as a "courtesy call," but the meeting has not been formally arranged.

After receiving the Congressional Gold Medal, Mandela will travel to Ottawa to address the Canadian parliament and attend a state banquet with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Meetings with the Sultan of Brunei and Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel will follow when President Mandela returns to South Africa.