FORMER SOUTH African president Nelson Mandela was discharged from a Johannesburg hospital yesterday after receiving medical treatment for an acute respiratory infection.
The South African nation appeared to breathe a collective sigh of relief when deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe convened a media briefing around midday to relay the positive news following an information blackout on Mr Mandela’s health since Wednesday afternoon, when he was first admitted to hospital.
Flanked by the SA National Defence Force surgeon general, Lieut Gen Vejaynand Ramlakan, Mr Motlanthe said that under the circumstances Mr Mandela was as well as could be expected for a man his age. “There is no need to panic, there is no need for us to fear for Madiba’s [Mr Mandela’s clan name] health,” he told the packed press briefing.
Mr Ramlakan went on to say the Noble Peace Prize winner was scheduled to get the same care at his Brighton home in Johannesburg as he would have if he stayed at Milpark hospital. He added that he would receive no assistance with ventilation and would breathe on his own.
“He is stable, but subject to intense monitoring. For a 92- year-old, he surprises us on a daily basis,” he said.
From the day he was admitted to hospital, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and government were tight-lipped regarding his condition, an approach that led to rumours circulating about his health and the exact nature of his ailment. Local newspapers yesterday decided to question in editorials whether the news blackout had been appropriate, given Mr Mandela’s iconic status both locally and internationally.
The Star newspaper wrote that “for someone of his stature, the distinction between private and public should disappear given how millions around the world feel about him”.
Indeed, Mr Motlanthe yesterday conceded a mistake had been made, saying the government could have handled the situation differently when it came to managing dissemination of information on Mr Mandela’s health. “From now on we will keep you posted.”
When asked how Mr Mandela’s relatives were dealing with the health scare, Mandla Mandela, his grandson, said there had been a lot of “anxiety” within the family, but that the support from around the world had been uplifting.
“On behalf of the Mandela family, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the support that we received from all South Africans and the international community,” he said.
Despite having retired from public life nearly seven years ago, Mr Mandela’s popularity remains extremely high. The Nelson Mandela Foundation said yesterday that between Wednesday evening and yesterday morning, more than 10,000 people sent in messages of support for the ageing hero of the struggle against apartheid.