Nelson Mandela was released from the hospital on Saturday after spending nine days there for pneumonia treatment. The South African government announced his discharge in a statement.
Mandela, the country’s first black president, has suffered multiple health issues lately. The 94-year-old has been in the hospital three time in the past four months and suffered from repeated lung infections.
The lung infections are believed to be the result of tuberculosis, which the former South African president contracted while in prison.
A statement released by South African President Jacob Zuma’s office added that Nelson Mandela was discharged after “a sustained and gradual improvement in his general condition.”
But while he is no longer in the hospital, Mandela will still have high-level medical care at his home in Johannesburg. The former president’s wife, Graca Machel, also commented on Mandela’s condition on Thursday, saying that her husband was “fine” and his condition was improving.
Machel added , “He is in hospital simply because the doctors want to be absolutely sure that he is strong enough to go home and nothing is going to recur.”
Nelson Mandela’s latest hospital visit sparked an outpouring of support and well-wishes from around the world. As a political prisoner, the former president became a symbol of South Africa’s struggle to overcome apartheid.
He was released from prison after 27 years and went on to become president in 1994. Even though he left office after a single term, he is still considered a major player in helping the African country through a largely peaceful transition to full democracy.
Nelson Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has not been seen in public since July 2010 when he attended the World Cup final in Soweto. Along with living through tuberculosis and several lung infections, Mandela also previously suffered from prostate cancer and stomach ailments.
There is no word on when, or if, Nelson Mandela will return to public life.
