President Jacob Zuma arrived in Addis Ababa
A fence was erected on Monday evening next to one of the entrances of the Pretoria hospital where former president Nelson Mandela was believed to be as his home village began preparing for visitors.
Police officers set up the barrier where numerous journalists had been camped out, close to a busy street in Arcadia. Tshwane Metro Police officers ordered journalists to move their cars.
There was speculation that President Jacob Zuma was expected to arrive at the hospital.
Around 10 uniformed police officers stood at the entrance, along with officers in civilian clothes. Several police cars were driven into and out of the hospital. All vehicles entering the hospital premises were inspected.
Earlier on Monday, presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaj said Mandela was receiving intensive care.
"Today the doctors are saying his condition is unchanged,” he told reporters from his office at the Union Buildings.
"He is under expert attention and they [doctors] are doing everything to keep him comfortable.”
Qunu prepares for visitors
Meanwhile, as Mandela spends his fourth day in hospital, his home village of Qunu was preparing for throngs of visitors, the Sowetan reported on Tuesday.
Some residents were preparing to turn their homes into home-stay accommodation, as they said there might not be enough place in the village should the ailing icon die, according to the report.
Villagers, who did not want to be named, told the newspaper there were only three bed and breakfasts (B&B) in the village.
An employee at one of the residences said the house had been converted into a 10-room B&B and had previously accommodated many foreigners who came to the village to see Mandela's home.
Nowinothi Geledwana (63) told the newspaper she had previously rented out some rooms in her house and expected to do so again, should there be a demand.
"I have about three to four rooms that are available and can be rented out should people prefer home-stay accommodation in Qunu," Geledwana was quoted as saying.
"I really don't know how much I will charge for them, but I'm sure I will make some profit."
Apart from accommodation provided by residents, the Nelson Mandela Museum in the village also had accommodation for 60 people, while there was a plush guesthouse less than 10km from Qunu.
Zuma scheduled to visit
The Star newspaper reported the Mandela family in Qunu was preparing for another relative's funeral on Saturday.
Florence Mandela, the wife of one of the son's of the elder statesperson's uncle, died last week aged 96.
Maharaj said a report in the Star suggesting the Mandela family had barred ANC and government officials from visiting Madiba was unfortunate.
"It's very unfortunate that one particular newspaper chose to run with that as a headline. I've read that report and it has no single source it attributes to, except three unnamed sources.
"There are restrictions which arise from the fact that Madiba is under intensive care. Those are medical restrictions to control movement of people [to exclude the] possibility of visitors bringing infection into the environment," said Maharaj.
The Star newspaper reported that the Mandela family had taken charge of the 94-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner's hospital stay, banning everyone, including government leaders and senior party officials, from visiting him.
The ANC on Monday said it was unaware of this.
Maharaj confirmed Zuma was scheduled to visit Mandela in hospital, but did not say when.
"As head of state, president Zuma will visit at the appropriate time. We just want Madiba to get better." ANC MP and Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, had also been at the hospital. – Sapa