Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj says Nelson Mandela is in serious but stable condition after being admitted to a hospital on Saturday with a recurring lung infection.
“The situation is serious this time but doctors have assured us he is comfortable,” Maharaj said, according to Reuters.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Mandela was taken from his home in Johannesburg to a hospital in Pretoria.
“At 1.30am today the doctors came to the conclusion that his condition had deteriorated enough that it warranted hospital treatment,” stated Maharaj, reports Telegraph.
It was, however, a “positive sign” that Mandela is breathing on his own.
"President Jacob Zuma, on behalf of government and the nation, wishes Madiba a speedy recovery and requests the media and the public to respect the privacy of Madiba and his family," Maharaj said, according to Mail & Guardian.
Mandela received nine days of treatment for the same recurring infection in March and April.
Mandela, 94, spent 27 years in prison for his fight against apartheid and later served as the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
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