Originally published in News 24
Well-wishes were pouring in for former president Nelson Mandela on Monday after he spent a third day at a hospital in Pretoria.
The 94-year-old former statesman was admitted to hospital on Saturday with a recurring lung infection.
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African Union (AU) chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the entire staff at the AU were sending Mandela their prayers.
“We give him courage and urge him to carry on. We continue to pray and look forward to Madiba’s speedy recovery,” Dlamini-Zuma said.
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said on Monday it thanked God for the “extraordinary gift” of Mandela, and wished him a speedy recovery.
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“As the beloved father of our nation uTata Nelson Mandela once again endures the ravages of time in hospital, our prayers are for his comfort and his dignity,” the organisation said in a statement.
“We send our blessings to the doctors and nurses responsible for his care.”
The foundation was founded by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah.
The SA Policing Union said Mandela touched everyone’s life in South Africa, and the country still needed him.
“Mandela is a national and an international icon that touched each and everyone’s life… We join billions across the globe in wishing him a speedy and full recovery. He is a fighter [and] we remain optimistic he will get well soon,” the union said in a statement.
North West Premier Thandi Modise urged people to continue praying for Mandela.
“To many across the globe, in our country, and province, Tata Madiba is a unifier and a symbol of reconciliation,” she said in a statement.
“Though we know that he is not immortal, like all of us, we are inspired by his fighting spirit and wish his family all the strength for them to unite in love and continue to give him all the support he needs.”
The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) also sent its best wishes to Mandela.
“Sadtu’s more than 260 000 members join millions in South Africa and the rest of the world in keeping our most revered icon Madiba and his family in our thoughts and prayers,” the union said in a statement.
