We must celebrate Nelson Mandela's life: Govt spokesperson

Johannesburg: In wake of anti-apartheid icon
and former South Africa President Nelson
Mandela's renewed lung infection, South
Africa's presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj
has said that one "must celebrate his life while
he is with us".
In a tone that sounded more cautionary than
admiring, Presidential spokesperson Mac
Maharaj said, "We should be celebrating his
life while he is with us, so that we are able to
celebrate it even when he is not with us," the
CNN reported.
"There is a simple message in his life. It tells
us that our humanity is derived from what we
do for others rather than what we do for
ourselves. This is what Madiba has done," he
added.
Mandela, who was brought to hospital on early
Saturday for treatment of a renewed lung
infection, spent second night in hospital today.
Presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj said
his condition was "serious this time".
"He remains in a serious but stable condition,"
Maharaj said, adding that doctors were doing
everything possible to make Mandela "better
and comfortable".
As local and international media began
converging on the city, Maharaj urged them to
respect the privacy of Mandela and his family.
In December last year, he received treatment
for 18 days for the lung infection and also had
an operation to remove gallstones, his longest
stay in hospital since he walked free from 27
years in jail in 1990.
Mandela had a long history of lung problems,
dating back to the time when he was a political
prisoner on Robben Island during apartheid.
While in jail he contracted tuberculosis.
In March, Mandela had overnight tests in
hospital which were described by the
Presidency as "a routine check-up".
Mandela was seen looking frail in a photograph
recently released by the African National
Congress, which he led to become the first
democratically-elected President of South
Africa in 1994.
His last public appearance was at the Fifa
World Cup in Johannesburg in July 2010.
Mandela served as South Africa's first black
president from 1994 to 1999 and is widely
regarded as the father of the nation for leading
the struggle against apartheid and for
democracy.