By AFP
Nelson Mandela remains in a serious but stable
condition, the South African government said on Monday, three days after
the revered peace icon was rushed to hospital with a recurrent lung
infection. Read (Let Mandela go, friend urges after his 2nd night in hospital)
"Former president Nelson Mandela remains in hospital, and his condition is unchanged," the presidency said in a statement.
The frail 94-year-old was taken to a Pretoria
hospital in the early hours of Saturday for a lung infection, with the
government then describing his condition "serious but stable".
It is the fourth hospital stay in seven months for
the man beloved as a global symbol of peace and forgiveness and the
father of the "Rainbow Nation."
And with his latest health scare, South Africans
are beginning to come to terms with the mortality of their
anti-apartheid hero and first black president.
"I've seen my father and he's well. He's a fighter," one of Mandela's daughters Zindzi told South Africa's Guardian newspaper on Sunday.
Two of Mandela's daughters and some grandchildren
were spotted on Sunday entering a private specialist heart clinic in
Pretoria where he is believed to be receiving treatment although the
government has not confirmed where he is staying.
The Star newspaper reported on Monday
that Mandela's family has banned hospital visits by non-family members
including government officials and members of the ruling African
National Congress (ANC).
The family declined to comment.
But presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj, who served
jail time with Mandela, said the authorities wanted "to create a
conducive environment for his recovery.
"So, close loved-ones are going to him for that
reason, that's all, nothing else," he said. "He is receiving treatment
and we want him to receive the treatment in the best condition for his
family."
The Nobel peace prize laureate, who turns 95 next
month, was back in hospital two months after being discharged in April
following treatment for pneumonia.
He has not been seen in public since the World Cup final in South Africa in July 2010.
"It's time to let him go," was the stark front-page headline in the Sunday Times newspaper, reflecting the mood of many in the country.
"We wish Madiba a speedy recovery, but I think
what is important is that his family must release him," his long-time
friend Andrew Mlangeni, 87, told the Sunday Times, using his Mandela's name.
"Once the family releases him, the people of South
Africa will follow. We will say thank you, God, you have given us this
man, and we will release him too," said Mlangeni, who was jailed for
life alongside Mandela in 1964.
While Twitter users expressed sadness and urged a quick recovery, they were also prepared for the worst.
"It's time to let Nelson Mandela go. He has served his country. Let him rest with dignity and a legacy that will never die," tweeted Ketha Msane
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