Nelson Mandela: South Africa welcomes 'progress'
This is Nelson Mandela's third time in hospital this year
South
Africa's government is pleased that ex-President Nelson Mandela is
responding well to treatment in hospital, it said in a statement.
The cabinet, which met on Wednesday, wished a speedy recovery to Mr Mandela, regarded as the father of the nation.
The 94 year old is spending his sixth day in a Pretoria hospital suffering from a recurrent lung infection.
Earlier, President Jacob Zuma said he was happy with Mr Mandela's progress after a "difficult few days".
Mr Mandela's grandson and family heir, Mandla, said the
family had "been deeply touched" by the concern shown for Mr Mandela's
health.
'Privacy'
Mr Mandela's wife Graca Machel has been at his bedside regularly since calling off a trip to London last week.
His daughter Zenani, who is the ambassador to Argentina, has also returned to South Africa to visit him.
Mr Mandela was elected South Africa's first black president in 1994 after leading the struggle against white minority rule.
He stepped down five years later.
"Cabinet wishes [former] President Nelson Mandela a speedy
recovery and reassures the nation that he is receiving the best medical
care," a government statement, published on Thursday, said.
“Start Quote
Mr Mandela's failing health is an intensely personal issue for many of those now involved in the distressing task of managing the flow of information from a Pretoria hospital bed, to a waiting world”
"Cabinet is pleased that he is
responding well to treatment and reiterates the request for the media
and the public to respect the privacy of the former president and his
family during this period."
Mr Mandela has been in intensive care since he was taken to hospital on Saturday for the third time this year.
In December, he spent 18 days undergoing treatment for a lung infection and gallstones.
Before being admitted to hospital, Mr Mandela had been ill
for some days at his Johannesburg home, with a recurrence of his
long-standing lung problems, said a statement from the president's
office on Tuesday.
Mr Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for his role in the
fight against apartheid and is believed to have suffered damage to his
lungs while working in a prison quarry.
He contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while being held in jail on the windswept Robben Island.
He retired from public life in 2004 and has been rarely seen at official events since.
