Former South Africa President, Nelson Mandela, who is 94-years-old, was admitted to a Pretoria hospital on Saturday for medical tests. President Jacob Zuma’s spokesman released a statement staying that there is ?no cause for alarm? and that Mandela is receiving medical care ?which is consistent for his age.?
?We wish Madiba all the best,? Zuma said in the statement, using Mandela’s clan name. ?The medical team is assured of our support as they look after and ensure the comfort of our beloved founding president of a free and democratic South Africa.?
No other details were offered and officials have declined to say what the tests were for.
Mandela is still viewed as a father figure to many people in South Africa, a nation of 50 million people. He is seen as the man who brought the nation together.
In February, he had a minor diagnostic surgery to determine the cause of abdominal pains. He has also suffered an acute respiratory infection (2011), and contracted tuberculosis while in prison. He had surgery for an enlarged prostate in 1985. Since his 2011 respiratory infection, the military has taken over his care.
Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his role in fighting against apartheid. He became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 and served one term of five years. He was also the leader of the African National Congress. He retired to his village of Qunu and made his last public appearance when South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament.
