South African President Thabo Mbeki has opened an international Aids conference saying poverty and not Aids is the most dangerous threat to the people of Africa.

In his address to the 13th International Aids Conference in the South African city of Durban, Mr Mbeki failed to explicitly say that HIV causes Aids but he did say his government remained committed to fighting the disease.

"The world's biggest killer and the greatest cause of ill health and suffering across the globe, including South Africa, is extreme poverty," Mr Mbeki told the delegates.

"As I listened and heard the whole story about our own country, it seemed to me that we could not blame everything on a single virus."

In the past, Mr Mbeki has said the link between HIV and Aids is not proven - a stand criticised as inaccurate and irresponsible by mainstream scientists.

Africa epidemic

The South African president defended his right to appoint members of his own choosing to an advisory panel, referring to his appointment of some scientists who doubt that HIV exists or that it causes Aids.

"I believe that we should speak to one another honestly and frankly with sufficient tolerance to respect everybody's point of view with sufficient tolerance to allow all voices to be heard," he said.

"Some in our common world consider the questions I and the rest of our government have raised about the HIV-Aids issue ... as akin to grave criminal and genocidal misconduct."

Mr Mbeki said his government would continue to fight HIV and Aids through preventive measures and poverty reduction programmes. This included contributing to the international research into developing an Aids vaccine.

Earlier on Sunday, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the former wife of Nelson Mandela accused Mr Mbeki's government of failing to address the Aids crisis.

The six-day conference is intended to focus on how the developed world and its rich drug firms could help the Aids epidemic in Africa and other developing countries.

South Africa has one of the fastest growing HIV infection rates in the world. According to the country's Medical Research Council, 1,700 people are being infected daily, adding to the 4.3 million - 10% of the population - who already carry the virus.