Topics

Former Member

South Africa on edge over sick Mandela

From: AFP, June 09, 2013 9:21AM, Source

NELSON Mandela is in a "serious but stable" condition in hospital with a renewed lung infection that has triggered worldwide concern for the South African hero.

Mandela, who turns 95 next month, was whisked to a Pretoria hospital in the early hours of Saturday for his fourth hospital stay in seven months.

"The truth of the matter is a simple one. Madiba is a fighter and at his age as long as he is fighting, he'll be fine," presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj told AFP, using Mandela's clan name

His wife Graca Machel was at his bedside in hospital after calling off a trip to London.

The anti-apartheid icon was once again suffering from pneumonia, after he was discharged in April for the same condition, said Maharaj.

"His condition deteriorated to the point where it was found necessary to hospitalise him," he said.

"But I am told by the doctors that he is breathing on his own, so I think that is a positive side," he added.

The announcement, calling his condition "serious", sparked a buzz on Twitter.

"Stay strong mr Mandela heaven isn't ready for you quite yet!" was one plea.

But there were also blunt calls to accept Mandela's increasing frailty and mortality.

"Gosh, Madiba gets no rest from the media. Let him die with dignity. It's not a circus folks," tweeted Eish-Mag.

In his rural childhood village of Qunu, where Mandela once tended cattle and sheep, the news came via radio for Malunga Mbokodi.

"I was shocked to hear from the radio this morning that he was again in hospital," the 62-year-old told the Sapa news agency.

"I think we should just accept it that Mandela is old and he will go soon," he added.

The ruling ANC called for people at home and abroad to keep "our beloved statesman and icon, Madiba" in their thoughts and prayers.

The Nobel peace laureate is revered as a symbol of forgiveness after leading South Africa into multi-race democracy as its first black president after decades of apartheid rule.

"My thoughts are with Nelson Mandela, who is in hospital in South Africa," tweeted British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The White House also sent good wishes.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and the people of South Africa as he recovers," US National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said.

"Getting too frequent and concerning -- he is 94," tweeted Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of Cosatu, the powerful labour union allied to the ruling ANC.

Mandela was receiving care at his Johannesburg home when his lung problems returned. He was admitted to an undisclosed hospital after his condition worsened at 1.30am local time.

He was diagnosed with early-stage tuberculosis in 1988 and also has had treatment for prostate cancer and suffered stomach ailments.

A heart hospital in Pretoria, where he is believed to have been previously treated, attracted a media camp on Saturday.

An ambulance accompanied by three vehicles with blue lights and sirens sparked excitement after exiting the grounds in the late afternoon, arriving at a military hospital according to local media.

No details were available.

In December, Mandela spent 18 days in hospital, his longest stint since walking free from 27 years in jail in 1990.

In March he was admitted for an overnight scheduled check-up before returning that month for 10 days.

President Jacob Zuma's office said Mandela was "receiving expert medical care and doctors are doing everything possible to make him better and comfortable".

Still a powerful symbol of peace and unity, Mandela has not been seen in public since the World Cup final in July 2010.

After serving just one term he turned his energy to AIDS and conflict resolution, before announcing in 2004 at the age of 85 that he was stepping out of the public eye.

In March, Zuma appeared to prepare the nation for the passing of the father of the "Rainbow Nation".

"In Zulu, when someone passes away who is very old, people say he or she has gone home. I think those are some of the things we should be thinking about," Zuma told the BBC.

Maharaj, who served time with Mandela on apartheid's Robben Island jail, on Saturday said it was good to worry about Mandela but there was no need "to get overworked".

"Whereas in the beginning we would get extremely anxious, this time our anxiety is tempered with a certain understanding of his age and his frailty. It's a good healthy balance," he said.

Television footage in April showed a frail, distant and unsmiling Mandela being visited at home by ANC leaders, sparking accusations that his party was exploiting him.

The African National Congress -- facing elections next year -- has lost much of its Mandela shine, amid widespread corruption, poverty and poor public services.

His own family has also been locked in a feud over control of various companies.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

PrashadSenior Member

I am going to be sorry to see Mandela go but if a country has to rely on one man to keep it from being racist then it is not worth it.

6/8/1311:00 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Prashad:

I am going to be sorry to see Mandela go but if a country has to rely on one man to keep it from being racist then it is not worth it.

???

6/8/1311:03 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Demerara_Guy:

South Africa on edge over sick Mandela

From: AFP, June 09, 2013 9:21AM, Source

The African National Congress -- facing elections next year -- has lost much of its Mandela shine, amid widespread corruption, poverty and poor public services.

His own family has also been locked in a feud over control of various companies.

Politicians promising the sky should take note, and so should the people who they court. You see, CBJ promised canecutters utopia, but then ended up in the same conflict as with the PNC and Bookers.

We have the PNC now promising a better day and the AFC promising all kinds of everything. Neither can deliver what they promise and the PPP and learning how to deliver but they need to rein in corruption.

6/8/1311:36 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by baseman:

We have the PNC now promising a better day and the AFC promising all kinds of everything.

Neither can deliver what they promise and the PPP and learning how to deliver but they need to rein in corruption.

PPP/C indeed has much work to do in this area.

When all issues are considered, PPP/C is still the preferred organization to again be re-elected.

6/8/1311:48 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by baseman:

Originally Posted by Demerara_Guy:

South Africa on edge over sick Mandela

From: AFP, June 09, 2013 9:21AM, Source

The African National Congress -- facing elections next year -- has lost much of its Mandela shine, amid widespread corruption, poverty and poor public services.

His own family has also been locked in a feud over control of various companies.

Politicians promising the sky should take note, and so should the people who they court. You see, CBJ promised canecutters utopia, but then ended up in the same conflict as with the PNC and Bookers.

Donald and GAWU has to rebuild the relationship with the sugar workers who are angry. It can be done. We have to diversify the sugar industry and think of new products that can be produced for a profit such as Vanilla and nuts.

Another approach may be to give a 30% stake of Guysuco to all active and retired sugar workers so when the company makes a profit then that 30% cash goes straight into their hands for themselves and their families.

6/9/1312:14 AM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Wally:

Excellent approach that would benefit the employees and management.

At one of the international company where I worked as the Coordinator of Engineering, all employees and management staff participated in a profit-sharing programme.

6/9/1312:21 AM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Wally:

Originally Posted by baseman:

Politicians promising the sky should take note, and so should the people who they court. You see, CBJ promised canecutters utopia, but then ended up in the same conflict as with the PNC and Bookers.

You cannot just hand over ownership, there could b legal hurdles especially if there are other stakeholders such as debt holders.

However, your point is taken, it would be more practical to strike a profit-share contract with GAWU. There is salary and end of year profit-share based on established profitability criterion and also have an employee rep on the board.

6/9/138:12 AM

Former Member

Ownership is not only about gains. It is also about cost. Generally when people are given some degree of ownership, they give back in return, typically in the form of reduced compensation. I doubt the sugar workers can afford that.

6/9/139:20 AM

Former Member

Originally Posted by ksazma:

This is my overall point about the value proposition of cane cutting. You cannot extract more out of less and it took the Commie PPP time to learn that.

6/9/1310:55 AM

Former Member

Nelson Mandela's family pays him a visit in hospital as South Africans pray

Christopher Torchia, The Associated Press, Published Sunday, June 9, 2013 6:17AM EDT, Last Updated Sunday, June 9, 2013 10:33AM EDT, Source

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Nelson Mandela received visits from family members on Sunday at a hospital where the former president and anti-apartheid leader was being treated for a recurring lung infection, while South Africans expressed their appreciation for a man widely regarded as the father of the nation.

There was no official update on 94-year-old Mandela after his second night in the hospital. His condition was described as "serious but stable" on Saturday.

The office of President Jacob Zuma had said that Mandela was taken to a Pretoria hospital after his condition deteriorated at around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The anti-apartheid leader has now been taken to a hospital four times since December, with the last discharge coming on April 6 after doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and drained fluid from his lung area.

Members of Mandela's family on Sunday were seen visiting the Pretoria hospital where he is believed to be staying. They included Makaziwe Mandela, the eldest of the ex-leader's three surviving children, and Ndileka Mandela, one of his 17 grandchildren.

Worshippers at a Sunday church service in the Johannesburg township of Soweto prayed for the recovery of Mandela, who was freed in 1990 after 27 years as a prisoner of white racist rule and won election to the presidency in all-race elections in 1994. He retired from public life years ago and had received medical care at his Johannesburg home until his latest transfer to a hospital.

At the Regina Mundi church in Soweto, Father Sebastian Rousso said Mandela, seen by many as a symbol of reconciliation for his peacemaking efforts, played a key role "not only for ourselves as South Africans, but for the world."

There is a stained glass image of Mandela with arms raised in the Catholic church, a centre of protests and funeral services for activists during the apartheid years.

"We still need him in our lives because he did so much for us," said Mantsho Moralo, a receptionist who was in the congregation. Siyabonga Nyembe, a student, described Mandela as a "pillar of strength" for South Africans.

A stream of tourists visited Mandela's former home, now a museum, on Vilakazi Street in Soweto. Visitors and vendors wished a quick recovery for the man whose sacrifices in the fight against apartheid made their lives better, even if South Africa today is struggling today with high unemployment and other severe challenges.

"He's like one in a million. I don't think we're ever going to get a leader like him. We're living the life that we have because of him and for that we wish him well," said Seponono Kekana, who toured the brick, one-storey house.

On April 29, state television broadcast footage of a visit by Zuma and other leaders of the ruling African National Congress to Mandela's home.

Zuma said at the time that Mandela was in good shape, but the footage - the first public images of Mandela in nearly a year - showed him silent and unresponsive, even when Zuma tried to hold his hand.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his long imprisonment. The bulk of that period was spent on Robben Island, an outpost off the coast of Cape Town where Mandela and other prisoners spent part of the time toiling in a stone quarry.

The Sunday Times, a South African newspaper, quoted Andrew Mlangeni, an old friend of Mandela, as saying he wished the former president would get better but noted his infirmity had become a drawn-out process. He said Mandela had been taken to the hospital "too many times" and that there was a possibility he would not be well again.

"The family must release him so that God may have his own way. They must release him spiritually and put their faith in the hands of God," said Mlangeni, a co-defendant of Mandela in the 1960s trial on sabotage charges that led to a sentence of life imprisonment for them and other anti-apartheid leaders.

"Once the family releases him, the people of South Africa will follow. We will say thank you, God, you have given us this man, and we will release him too," Mlangeni told the newspaper.

Nhlanhla Ngcobobo, a street vendor who works a few steps from the Mandela Family Restaurant next to the former leader's old home, said the ailing Mandela was a kind of psychological anchor for his compatriots.

South Africa has held peaceful elections since 1994 and remains an economic powerhouse on the continent, but many worry that the sense of promise that Mandela represented in the early years of democracy is in peril.

"There's a lot of corruption and when Mandela dies, people will start feeling they can do what they like and corruption will be worse than it is," Ngcobobo said. "By him being alive, there's a lot more order."

Associated Press writer Wandoo Makurdi in Johannesburg contributed to this report

6/9/1311:30 AM

Skip to main content

Topics

South Africa on edge over sick Mandela

South Africa on edge over sick Mandela

South Africa on edge over sick Mandela

Nelson Mandela's family pays him a visit in hospital as South Africans pray

Add Reply

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Premium Membership Required

GNI VIP Member

Please wait...