Mandela shows improvement but still critical
Source: Agencies |
June 28, 2013, Friday
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Print Edition
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NELSON Mandela's health made an improvement and his condition remained critical but stable, the South African government said yesterday in a statement that brought a measure of relief to the country.
One of the former president's daughters said he was still opening his eyes and reacting to the touch of his family even though his situation was precarious.
The report that the health of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid figure had taken a slight turn for the better came amid an increasingly somber mood in South Africa, where religious and traditional leaders have talked openly about the possibility of his death. For some, it dovetailed with the resilience of spirit and physique that Mandela had shown throughout his life, as a boxer, a prisoner, a peacemaker, a president and a humanitarian who inspired the world.
"We know that Madiba is a fighter, he's been a fighter all his life and he's tough," said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj, using Mandela's clan name. He said the latest medical report had brought "a little bit of relief."
The hint of good news, whether fleeting or not, delighted some South Africans, including those who have delivered flowers and messages of support to the Pretoria hospital where Mandela has been treated.
"We are very grateful as South Africans for the promises that we are getting that he is stabilizing right now," said Andy Lembeki, a well-wisher.
President Jacob Zuma's office said he received the update from the medical team that is treating Mandela. Zuma had canceled an international trip yesterday in a sign of heightened worry, instead visiting Mandela for the second time in two days.
"I canceled my visit to Mozambique today so that I can see him and confer with the doctors," Zuma said in the statement. "He is much better today than he was when I saw him last night."
Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years during white racist rule and became president in all-race elections in 1994, was taken to a hospital on June 8 for what the government said was a recurring lung infection.
Zuma urged people to pray for Mandela.
'Like vultures'
The president's office said it was disturbed by what it called rumors about Mandela's health and appealed for respect for the privacy and dignity of the former leader. Unconfirmed reports about Mandela have swirled on social media and other forums.
Makaziwe Mandela, one of Mandela's daughters, echoed the criticism, saying foreign media coverage of her father's illness had become intrusive, particularly at the Pretoria hospital where many journalists have gathered.
"There's sort of a racist element with many of the foreign media, where they just cross boundaries," she said. "It's like truly vultures waiting when a lion has devoured a buffalo, waiting there for the last carcasses. That's the image that we have, as a family."
She said: "We don't mind the interest. But I just think it has gone overboard."
One of the former president's daughters said he was still opening his eyes and reacting to the touch of his family even though his situation was precarious.
The report that the health of the 94-year-old anti-apartheid figure had taken a slight turn for the better came amid an increasingly somber mood in South Africa, where religious and traditional leaders have talked openly about the possibility of his death. For some, it dovetailed with the resilience of spirit and physique that Mandela had shown throughout his life, as a boxer, a prisoner, a peacemaker, a president and a humanitarian who inspired the world.
"We know that Madiba is a fighter, he's been a fighter all his life and he's tough," said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj, using Mandela's clan name. He said the latest medical report had brought "a little bit of relief."
The hint of good news, whether fleeting or not, delighted some South Africans, including those who have delivered flowers and messages of support to the Pretoria hospital where Mandela has been treated.
"We are very grateful as South Africans for the promises that we are getting that he is stabilizing right now," said Andy Lembeki, a well-wisher.
President Jacob Zuma's office said he received the update from the medical team that is treating Mandela. Zuma had canceled an international trip yesterday in a sign of heightened worry, instead visiting Mandela for the second time in two days.
"I canceled my visit to Mozambique today so that I can see him and confer with the doctors," Zuma said in the statement. "He is much better today than he was when I saw him last night."
Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years during white racist rule and became president in all-race elections in 1994, was taken to a hospital on June 8 for what the government said was a recurring lung infection.
Zuma urged people to pray for Mandela.
'Like vultures'
The president's office said it was disturbed by what it called rumors about Mandela's health and appealed for respect for the privacy and dignity of the former leader. Unconfirmed reports about Mandela have swirled on social media and other forums.
Makaziwe Mandela, one of Mandela's daughters, echoed the criticism, saying foreign media coverage of her father's illness had become intrusive, particularly at the Pretoria hospital where many journalists have gathered.
"There's sort of a racist element with many of the foreign media, where they just cross boundaries," she said. "It's like truly vultures waiting when a lion has devoured a buffalo, waiting there for the last carcasses. That's the image that we have, as a family."
She said: "We don't mind the interest. But I just think it has gone overboard."
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