Nelson Mandela is said to be doing well in hospital, according to South African officials.
The human rights icon was admitted to hospital in Pretoria on Saturday to be treated, although no further details were confirmed. After undergoing extensive testing, the 94-year-old was said to be suffering from a lung infection, and has since been undergoing treatment. When asked about his condition, Mr Mandela's spokesperson Mac Maharaj said: "Mr Mandela had a good night's rest. The doctors will still conduct further tests today on Monday. He is in good hands, there is no cause for alarm."
In tribute to the former president's work, Mac added: "Today is also a special day as President Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize on 10 December 1993... for his selfless contribution to the struggle for liberation, human rights and justice in South Africa."
Current president --and former fellow prisoner with the campaigner on Robben Island-- Jacob Zuma confirmed that the former politician was in hospital but declined to pass any lengthy comment on the matter. "We want to avoid news about Madiba's [Mr Mandela's clan name] health being treated as if it is the movement of share prices on the stockmarket," he said.
Mr Zuma's office said also said that Mr Mandela needs medical attention "from time to time which is consistent with his age".
The news of the apartheid icon's declining health will inevitably cause anxiety amongst South African people. The "father of the nation" has experienced a series of health problems in the past two years, undergoing an abdonimal operation as well as receiving treatment for another lung infection.
Regarded as one of the most-loved and significant leaders of the 20th century, Me Mandela's health is a global concern. Making an impressive biography, the freedom fighter has dedicated fifty years of his life to fighting against Apartheid. Convicted for conspiring to overthrow the government, the campaigner spent thirty years in prison. Echoing the sentiments of his trial speech, the campaigner refused to compromise "an ideal I would die for", and continued to fight for racial equality behind bars.He was released from prison in 1990, when the death knell of the apartheid sounded its last. Honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, the activist has worked in politics and charity ever since. Becoming the first black President of South Africa in 1994, the campaigner has since been involved in a series of charitable causes, and withdrew from public life to live near his hometown of Qunu in 2004.
