South Africans express their concerns about the health of freedom icon Nelson Mandela

Dec 26 2012

By Subry Govender

"He's done great things for our country and to see him suffering like this it's hurting."

　

　

During the dark days of the struggle against apartheid and white minority rule, South Africans used to sing vigorously, loudly and without any fear for the release of Nelson Mandela from prison.

Now 22 years after his release and after leading South Africans to political freedom in 1994, the people are praying that the 94-year-old freedom icon will leave a Pretoria hospital bed in a fully recovered condition. Since December 8, 2012 he has been receiving treatment for a chronic lung infection and after he had surgery to have gallstones removed.

He was not even allowed to leave hospital to spend Christmas and the rest of the festive season with his family.

"It's very sad that he's been in hospital so many times," said Ms Gabu Khuzwayo, a young woman working at a supermarket in Durban.

"We would like him to be out very soon because we really love him and adore him a lot. He's done great things for our country and to see him suffering like this it's hurting."

Ms Khuzwayo is one of several people I spoke to about Mandela's hospitalisation.

A bank employee, Mr Krishna Kuppusamy of Phoenix, said: "Nelson Mandela has been our hero and the father of the country. We are really sad that he's in hospital at the moment and we wish him the best of luck and the speediest of recovery as early as possible."

A businessman in Umhlanga, Mr Owen Davids, said Mandela made his contribution to South Africa and people worshipped him.

"We hope that Dada gets better soon and returns home to his family," he said.

"He's definitely a leader that everybody looks up to, no matter and irrespective of what colour, race or culture."

This is the second time in 2012 that Mandela has been admitted to hospital. Early in February, he was admitted to a hospital in Johannesburg for abdominal pain and lung infection.

Previously he has received treatment for an enlarged prostrate gland, tuberculosis, and an eye infection.

Since his latest hospitalisation, Mandela has been visited at least three times by President Jacob Zuma, his grand-son Mandla Mandela, his wife Mrs Graca Machel and other close members of his family.

Zuma and the Government have called on South Africans to pray for his recovery and the latest communication is that Mandela has now made some recovery.

Presidential spokesperson, Mac Maharaj, has been keeping South Africa and the world informed of Mandela's condition over the past three weeks.

"The doctors are happy with the progress that former President Mandela is making. He's been in hospital you know since the 8th of December. He's in good spirits and the doctors are quite comfortable with the way things are developing, " said Maharaj.

Asked when it was likely that the former President would be discharged from hospital, Maharaj said it was up to the doctors to make the decision.

"This is a question that is entirely in the hands of the doctors and what they have said to us is that they want to be sure that he has made sufficient progress in his recovery before they consider his discharge from hospital. I think it's something we all wish for him. We'd like him to be with his family but at the same time we would like him to recover as well as possible."

The Zuma Government has over the past three weeks been severely criticised by the media and a great many people in general for not disclosing all the details about Mandela's hospitalisation. But the Government has made it repeatedly clear that it wants to protect the former President so that he could make a full recovery without the interference of the media and other people.

The local and international media have been camping at two hospitals in Pretoria since his latest hospitalisation.

Zuma's repeated calls on South Africans to pray for Mandela's recovery has heightened fears about whether the former freedom icon will make a full recovery. Mandela still inspires South Africans and one hopes that freedom icon and first democratic president will leave hospital soon fully recovered.