Clinton lauds Malawi's president, will see Mandela

JOHANNESBURG -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised Malawi's leaders Sunday for reforms in the impoverished African nation before arriving in South Africa for talks with government officials and a private visit with Nelson Mandela.

A longtime champion of women's empowerment, Clinton encouraged President Joyce Banda to stay on a course of economic reform to make Malawi more attractive to foreign investment. Later, Clinton visited a girls' secondary school and an agriculture project supported by U.S. assistance.

Clinton, the first secretary of state to visit Malawi, was clearly pleased to meet Banda and told her that the United States "strongly supports you and your government and your efforts on behalf of the people of this absolutely wonderful country."

Banda, a women's rights campaigner who had been Malawi's vice president, took over the top job in April after President Bingu wa Mutharika died in office. She told Clinton that "for a long time we have both been women and children's activists and I was looking forward to the day that we would meet. And we meet today in an official capacity and I am proud."

Today, Clinton is to pay her respects to Mandela at his home in the town of Qunu. Mandela, 94, became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Clinton planned talks Tuesday with government officials.

Clinton is on an 11-day tour of Africa that has already taken her to Senegal, Uganda, South Sudan and Kenya. After South Africa she will travel to Nigeria, Ghana and Benin.

She then heads to Turkey on Saturday where she will have talks with Turkish officials and others on the deteriorating situation in Syria.