Nelson Mandela is now “breathing without difficulty” after being treated for pneumonia, South Africa’s president has said. Jacob Zuma’s office issued the statement after the 94-year-old had fluid drained from his chest. It said the treatment had “resulted in him now being able to breathe without difficulty”.
“He continues to respond to treatment and is comfortable,” the statement added.
It comes after Mr Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj gave an upbeat report on Friday.
“He was in good spirits, he had a full breakfast, and the doctors report that he’s making steady progress,” he said.
“He sat up and had his breakfast in bed.”
It remains unclear how long Mr Mandela will remain at the undisclosed hospital.
The former South African president’s recent health troubles have triggered an outpouring of prayers, with his country coming to terms with the mortality of the revered Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Nearly 20 years after he came to power in 1994, he remains a unifying symbol in a country still riven by racial tensions and deep inequality.
It is the second time this month that he has been admitted to hospital, after spending a night for check-ups on March 9.
That followed a hospital stay of nearly three weeks in December, when Mandela was treated for another lung infection and underwent gallstone surgery.
He was diagnosed with early-stage tuberculosis in 1988 during his 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime and has long had problems with his lungs. He has also had treatment for prostate cancer and has suffered stomach ailments.
Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela told public broadcaster SABC that “Tata (father) is doing well”.
“He’s responding very well to treatment,” said Madikizela-Mandela, who attended a Friday church service in Soweto where the congregation prayed for Mandela.
Source : Sky News
