SOME OF South Africa’s most senior anti-apartheid figures were seen at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg yesterday where former president Nelson Mandela remained for a second day undergoing tests for an unspecified condition.
Mr Mandela’s former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, his current wife Graça Machel and anti-apartheid activist Albertina Sisulu were among a steady stream of people who came to visit the 92-year-old, who is said by the government to be comfortable and in good spirits. Justice minister Jeff Radebe, Mandela’s personal assistant Zelda la Grange and the daughter of Ms Machel were also seen at the private hospital, as was Mr Mandela’s eldest grandson, Chief Mandla Mandela, and other family members.
Security was stepped up yesterday morning around the hospital to protect their high-profile patient’s privacy from the growing number of foreign and local media organisations that have camped outside the medical facility.
Handwritten get well messages could be seen hanging from the windows of buildings near Milpark Hospital, while social media networks and the internet have also been awash with comments wishing Mr Mandela well.
Shortly after he was admitted on Wednesday afternoon the Nelson Mandela Foundation moved fast to quell rumours regarding his health by releasing a statement that said: “He [Mr Mandela] is in no danger and is in good spirits.”
However, doctors, hospital representatives and senior African Nation Congress (ANC) party members have remained tight-lipped about the exact nature of Mr Mandela’s complaint since then, an approach that has heightened concerns over his wellbeing.
The Starnewspaper reported the former ANC president was airlifted from Cape Town to Johannesburg by military aircraft after he developed a persistent cough.
ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu called for the media to stop speculating about Mr Mandela’s health and allow the family privacy. “We appeal, particularly to the media fraternity, to refrain from making unfounded and unwarranted speculation in relation to Madiba’s [Mandela’s clan name] health,” he said.
South African president Jacob Zuma is in Davos at the World Economic Forum, where he called for South Africans to stay calm. A presidency spokesperson said he had no plans to leave the conference early. His decision to stay in Switzerland has been grasped by many South Africans as a sign that one of their worst fears – Mr Mandela’s death – is not about to happen.