Nelson Mandela, the first President of South Africa (1994-1999) has recently been reported to have major health issues. He was rushed to the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg last Wednesday and was diagnosed with a respiratory infection. Nonetheless at 92, Nelson Mandela is quite healthy and there have been reports from the President, Jacob Zuma and one of Mandela's daughters, Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane that the former president is under strict medical supervision. President Zuma, last week addressed Mandela's health issues in his State of Nation address and the fact that South Africans had raised concerns about the inadequate of information given to the public concerning Mandela's health, he said that people should allow Mandela to recover peacefully, age in dignity and that there was no cause for panic. However, concerned citizens came together to pray for their former president and to light candles of hope in his honor.
I wish President Mandela a speedy recovery!
Nelson Mandela rose to fame when he confidently expressed his anti-apartheid views of racial segregation in South Africa in the early 1950s. He was arrested on several occasions and was sent to Robben Island, where he spent 18 years in prison. He was a target for oppression and many human right abuses. In total he spent 27 years in prison, but still didn't give up till he won the presidency in the country's first multi-racial elections in 1994. Before and during his presidency he won the respect and admiration of many both at home and abroad, because of he promoted the reconciliation of both black and white citizens. Recently, Mandela has been a supporter of AIDs awareness (his son died of the disease in 2005 at age 54). He has also been a supporter for the respect for human rights.
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