Nelson Mandela ‘Looked Well’ and in ‘Good Hands’: South African President Jacob Zuma
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Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — South Africans are keeping a watchful eye on Nelson Mandela after the former president and anti-apartheid leader was hospitalized this weekend.
Mandela, 94, was admitted to a hospital in Pretoria on Saturday for routine medical testing – “which is consistent for his age” South African officials said.
“We wish Madiba all the best. The medical team is assured of our support as they look after and ensure the comfort of our beloved founding President of a free and democratic South Africa,” South African President Jacob Zuma said in a statement Saturday.
On Sunday morning, Zuma visited Mandela and said “Mandela looked well and he can assure us he’s in good hands” according to presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj.
No other details were released.
Over the years, Mandela has had his share of health issues.
In February, Mandela was admitted to the hospital to receive treatment for a “long-standing abdominal complaint.”
Mandela was admitted to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg in Jan. 2011 with a respiratory infection.
Mandela’s last public appearance was in July of 2010, when he attended the final match and closing ceremonies of the World Cup held in South Africa.
Mandela was released from prison in 1990, after serving nearly three decades of hard labor at Robben Island.
Mandela, who fought to dismantle the country’s racist regime was elected as South Africa’s first black president in 1994.
After he left office in 1999, Mandela became a global statesman, mediating conflicts in some of the world’s most troubled spots.
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