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Revolutionary and politician Nelson Mandela
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(CNN) -- An ambulance that rushed former South African President Nelson Mandela to hospital two weeks ago broke down on the way there, but the anti-apartheid icon's health was not compromised, a government spokesman said Saturday.
Mandela has been hospitalized in serious but stable
condition in Pretoria since June 8 for a recurring lung infection.
"When the ambulance experienced engine
problems, it was decided that it would be best to transfer to another military
ambulance which itself was accompanied for the rest of the journey by a
civilian ambulance," spokesman Mac Maharaj said.
South Africa's first black president gets
round-the-clock care, and his house is retrofitted with medical equipment that
mirrors that of an intensive care unit.
The military ambulance he used at the time is
fully-equipped and includes intensive care specialists and nurses, and two
quick response vehicles, according to the spokesman.
"All care was taken to ensure that the former
President Mandela's medical condition was not compromised by the unforeseen
incident," Maharaj said.
Mandela, 94, has become increasingly frail over the
years and has not appeared in public since South Africa hosted the World Cup in
2010.
Despite his rare public appearances, news of his
ailment sparks concerns worldwide.
"I think the concern, the anxiety shown by
people throughout the world and South Africa is perfectly understandable,"
Maharaj said this month. "The most important thing is that we should
realize that this is a life that we need to celebrate, even when he's with us.
And we will celebrate it, even when he is not with us."
Mandela has been in and out of hospital in recent
years.
His history of lung problems dates to when he was a
political prisoner on Robben Island during the apartheid era, and he has
battled respiratory infections over the years.
Last year, he spent the Christmas holidays
undergoing treatment for a lung infection and gallstones, one of his longest hospital stays since his release from
prison in 1990.
Considered the founding father of South Africa's
democracy, Mandela became an international figure while enduring 27 years in
prison for fighting against apartheid, the country's system of racial
segregation.
In 1993, Mandela and then-South African President
F.W. de Klerk jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The iconic leader was elected the nation's first
black president a year later, serving only one term, as he had promised.
Even as he has faded from the spotlight, he retains
his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy in the nation. Last year, South Africa launched a new batch of banknotes with a
picture of a smiling Mandela on the front.
Mandela's impact extends far beyond South African
borders. After he left office, he mediated conflicts from Africa to the Middle
East.
He turns 95 next month.
Source:CNN
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