/ 6 January 2013

Mandela has recovered, says presidency

Mandela Has Recovered, Says Presidency

Former president Mandela (94), who has been in frail health for several years, spent most of December in a Pretoria hospital – his longest stay for medical care since his release from prison in 1990. He has been receiving treatment at his Johannesburg home after he left hospital on December 26.

"President Mandela has made steady progress and clinically, he continues to improve," the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

Mandela had recovered from his surgical procedure and the lung infection, it said, citing his medical team.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mandela has a history of lung problems dating back to when he contracted tuberculosis as a political prisoner. He spent 27 years in prison, including 18 years on the windswept Robben Island off Cape Town.

The statement said he will continue to receive high care at his Houghton home.

Mandela has spent much of the past year at another home in Qunu, his ancestral village in the Eastern Cape.

His poor health has prevented him from making public appearances for about two years, although he has continued to receive high-profile visitors. – Reuters