Nelson Mandela hospitalised again with lung infection recurrence

The South African Government has said Nelson Mandela, formerly a President of the country, has been readmitted to hospital. Their press release states this is due to the return of a lung infection Mandela has experienced before.

Mandela was taken into hospital just prior to midnight local time (0200 UTC) last night. Current South African President Jacob Zuma made an "appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts," he said, adding: "We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure [his] recovery". The statement did not disclose more detail than the request from President Zuma's office "once again for understanding and privacy in order to allow space to the doctors to do their work."

Mandela underwent an arranged medical check-up earlier this month; the former South African President has been hospitalised at least four times since the start of 2011, most-recently on December 8 last year, when he was treated for gallstones and a lung infection. He was discharged on December 26, after an eighteen day stay in hospital.