The ill-health of the Nobel laureate continued to spark worldwide concerns, with South Africans praying for the ailing peace icon following his second day in hospital yesterday over a lung infection.
Sunday in South Africa, Mandela’s latest health scare was splashed across the front pages of local newspapers. But government officials have released no updates since announcing he was hospitalised in Pretoria early Saturday in a “serious but stable” condition.
The Sunday Times newspaper carried a front-page picture of the elder statesman smiling and waving under the headline: “It’s time to let him go”.
“We wish Madiba a speedy recovery, but I think what is important is that his family must release him,” long-time friend Andrew Mlangeni, 87, told the newspaper.
Even the British Prime Minister David Cameron said Mandela was in his thoughts, while the White House has also sent good wishes.
It was also reported that Mandela was visited by family members at a hospital where the former president and anti-apartheid leader was being treated for a recurring lung infection, while South Africans expressed their appreciation for a man widely regarded as the father of the nation.
The congregation at the Regina Mundi church in Soweto, a flashpoint during the anti-apartheid struggle, prayed for the 94-year-year-old national hero, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported.
