US President Bill Clinton arrives in Cape Town

The first American president to visit SA with his wife, President Bill Clinton, arrived with his wife Hillary at the Cape Town International Airport. Clinton was on a tour of two weeks in Africa, showing a level of interest in Africa unprecedented for a Western head of state. In an address to Parliament, Clinton said: "America has a profound and pragmatic stake in your success." The Clintons were hosted by President Nelson Mandela, who also accompanied them to Robben Island, where Mandela had spent 18 years in prison.