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June 13, 2013

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Mandela responding better to medical care

FORMER President Nelson Mandela began responding better to treatment yesterday morning for a recurring lung infection following "a difficult last few days," South Africa's president said.

President Jacob Zuma told parliament he is happy with the progress the 94-year-old is making following his hospitalization on Saturday.

Mandela spent a fifth straight day in a Pretoria hospital, where he was visited by one of his daughters and two granddaughters.

Zuma noted that yesterday marked the 49th anniversary of the sentencing of Mandela to life in prison in 1964. He said "our thoughts" are with Mandela and his family "on this crucial historical anniversary."

"We are very happy with the progress that he is now making following a difficult last few days," Zuma said. "We appreciate the messages of support from all over the world."

Zuma applauded the legacy of Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists. South Africa's government disbanded its policy of apartheid - racial segregation and discrimination - in 1994.

"Our country is a much better place to live in now than it was before 1994, even though we still have so much work to do," Zuma said.

Mandela, the leader of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, spent 27 years in prison during white racist rule. He was freed in 1990, and then embarked on peacemaking efforts during the tense transition that saw the demise of the apartheid system and his own election as South Africa's first black president in 1994.

His admission to a hospital in Pretoria, the capital, is Mandela's fourth time being admitted to a hospital for treatment since December.

US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama wished Mandela a "speedy recovery" on Tuesday.

Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, visited his grandfather yesterday and said the family has been deeply touched by the outpouring of prayers and messages of goodwill from around the world. He said the family is satisfied with the care Mandela is receiving.

Zuma used the budget address as an occasion to highlight the work carried out by the African National Congress, the party that Mandela led to South Africa's presidency, in the last 19 years.



 

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