/ 7 May 2010

Van Zyl Slabbert on the mend

Former opposition leader Frederick van Zyl Slabbert was receiving treatment at the Milpark hospital in Johannesburg and was recovering, a statement from the hospital said on Thursday night.

The hospital, however, did not give further details about what van Zyl Slabbert had been suffering from.

“Dr Slabbert is currently recovering in a private unit and is in a stable condition,” hospital manager, Cobus Venter, said.

“His family asks that their privacy be respected during his recuperation. They thank all those who have wished him a speedy recovery.”

Earlier in the day it was reported that Van Zyl Slabbert was suffering from a serious liver illness and that he had been slipping in and out of consciousness.

Van Zyl Slabbert (70) retired as chancellor of the University of Stellenbosch last year following a heart attack.

He was leader of the opposition in the apartheid-era House of Assembly for seven years. – Sapa