Mandela recovering from pneumonia
Nelson Mandela is breathing “without difficulty” after undergoing a procedure to clear fluid in his lung area which was caused by pneumonia, a South African presidential spokesman said today.
The 94-year-old former president and anti-apartheid leader suffered a recurrence of pneumonia, said spokesman Mac Maharaj.
South African officials had previously not specified that Mr Mandela had pneumonia, saying instead that he had a lung infection.
Mr Mandela’s medical team reported that the increasingly frail ex-leader “had developed a pleural effusion which was tapped”, President Jacob Zuma’s office said in a statement.
“This has resulted in him now being able to breathe without difficulty. He continues to respond to treatment and is comfortable.”
The president’s office thanked all who have prayed for Mr Mandela and his family and have sent messages of support.
Mr Mandela was admitted to a hospital in the capital, Pretoria, late on Wednesday night. It was his third admission to hospital since December, when he was treated for a lung infection and also underwent a procedure to remove gallstones. Earlier this month, he spent a night in a hospital for what officials said was a scheduled medical test.
Mr Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 after elections were held, bringing an end to the system of white racist rule known as apartheid.
He had spent 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime and after his release in 1990 was widely credited with averting even greater bloodshed by helping the country in the transition to democratic rule.
