Former President Jerry John Rawlings has stated that he has been battling malaria for the past six months.

He, however, appears to be recuperating as he made an appearance at a lecture at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Wednesday.

Mr Rawlings had made a late entry to the event and in his apology to the audience said he has not been well for the past six months.

According to him, he has been down with malaria.

He, therefore, craved the indulgence of the organizers to allow him to leave a few moments after he makes his submission.

He was one of the two speakers – the other his successor John Agyekum Kufuor – at the programme, which was organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation through the Institute of Law and Public Affairs in partnership with Media General, managers of TV3, Onua FM, 3FM and 3news.com.

Mr Rawlings spoke to the theme of the forum – ‘The Role of the Council of State: A Critical Assay’ – by calling for slight revisions to the constitutional provision on the composition of the Council of State.

He ended his lecture with an anecdote about late South African leader Nelson Mandela, narrating how the freedom fighter had to wait for a very long time in a “very rich” country for financial aid that never was.

According to him, when an emissary got to Mr Mandela, who had waited for long at a designated venue of that country’s airport, he told the South African anti-apartheid fighter that the car bringing the cash had involved in an accident.

“Is the money also injured?” Mr Rawlings quotes Madiba as asking the emissary in the face.