Call to respect Mandela family privacy
25 June 2013
South African President Jacob Zuma called on Tuesday for Nelson Mandela and his family to be "accorded the necessary sensitivity, dignity and privacy" as the 94-year-old elder statesman remained in a critical condition in hospital in Pretoria.
Mandela has been in hospital in Pretoria for over two weeks receiving treatment for a recurring lung infection that has seen him hospitalised four times since December.
The Presidency said in a statement on Tuesday that Mandela's condition remained unchanged, having reported on Sunday that his condition had deteriorated over the weekend to the point where his condition was critical.
Mandela's doctors were continuing "to do their best to ensure his recovery, well-being and comfort," the Presidency said, adding that President Zuma thanked the South African public for their ongoing support and understanding.
"We must support him and support his family," Zuma said. "We must demonstrate our love and appreciation for his leadership during the struggle for liberation and in our first few years of freedom and democracy by living out his legacy and promoting unity, non-racialism, non-sexism and prosperity in our country."
Zuma called on South Africans to honour Mandela by making his 95th birthday on 18 July "the biggest Mandela Day ever".
Marked across the world on 18 July each year, Nelson Mandela International Day aims to inspire people to take action to change the world for the better and, in doing so, to build a global movement for good.
"We must all be planning what to do next month in marking our 67 minutes of doing good for humanity as called upon by Madiba to do so," Zuma said.
SAinfo reporter
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