Nelson Mandela in hospital
Nelson Mandela’s health is continuing to improve but the anti-apartheid hero remains in a serious condition – South Africa’s president said today.
Jacob Zuma paid a visit to the 94-year-old in a Pretoria hospital, where the former president has been treated for six days – according to a statement released by the presidency.
“We continue to appeal to people to keep Madiba in their prayers and wish him a speedy recovery” – Mr Zuma said, referring to Mr Mandela by his clan name.
Mr Mandela is being treated for a recurring lung infection, and it is his fourth spell in hospital since December.
Nelson Mandela.
After visiting Mr Mandela in hospital – Mr. Zuma urged people to keep him “in their prayers”.
The 94 year old is spending his sixth day in the Pretoria hospital suffering from a recurrent lung infection.
He became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 after leading the struggle against white minority rule.
He stepped down five years later.
Breathlessly, the 10-year-olds at Rosebank Primary School in Johannesburg clamour to explain all about Nelson Mandela’s life.
For them, Mandela is the hero they love but never knew – as he is for the kids who this week have delivered cards, flowers and get-well messages to his Johannesburg home a short distance away as the 94-year-old icon of the struggle against apartheid fights a recurrent lung infection in hospital.
Madiba, as he is affectionately known in South Africa, retreated from public office in the decade before these children were born.
But they quickly go deep into details of his life, not forgetting to translate Mandela’s Xhosa name, Rolihlahla – which colloquially means “troublemaker”.
Even if he came from a poor family, they are proud that Mandela caused enough trouble to end white-minority rule and became the father of the “Rainbow Nation”.
He was so “poor that his father cut his own trousers so he can wear it on his first day to school” – said Junior Luthuli, 10, during break time.
“And the (pair of) trousers was big, and he didn’t have a belt, so his father used a string to tie it,” interjected classmate Sibusiso Ncube, also 10.