Responding to criticisms that his denial contributed to the number of deaths in his country, he shared data from Statistics South Africa (Statssa) showing ten leading underlying natural causes of death in 2006 in which HIV was number 9 and directed a number of questions to his critics: 
Akijibu wakosoaji wake kuwa kauli zake tata kuhusu VVU na UKIMWI zimesababisha vifo vingi nchini mwake, Mbeki alitoa takwimu kutoka Shirika la Takwimu la Nchi hiyo (Statssa) zinazonesha vyanzo vikuu kumi vya vifo nchini humo kwa mwaka 2006 ambapo UKIMWI ulikuwa nambari tisa na akaelekeza maswali kadhaa kwa wakosoaji wake: