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Nelson Mandela

JOHANNESBURG — As former president Nelson Mandela marks two months in hospital, his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has spoken about the strain his illness has had on the family. She told Sky News that family members have been hurt by continual reports of his demise. “It’s so cruel,” she said. “All around us we see people erecting scaffolding, preparing for a funeral. He has been pre-deceased. Do people not think of our emotions?”

Mandela remains in a critical but stable condition after being hospitalised on 8 June with a recurring lung infection, and has shown signs of improvement.

He is now breathing normally, she said, denying reports that he is in a permanent vegetative state. “Why would we conceal that?”

It is difficult seeing him lying vulnerable in his hospital bed, she added. “For those of us who know him, who know his strength, it is very hard.”

Mandela’s     eyes     still     “lit     up”     when   his   children   came   to   visit   him,   she   said. “That    is   how    he   communicates with them.”

Madikizela-Mandela also praised the medical team who are ensuring that he remains “comfortable”.

She said they knew “the inevitable” would happen, but said only God could decide when that would be. — News24..