Nelson Mandela\'s release from hospital calms national alarm

South Africans breathed a collective sigh of relief today when Nelson Mandela was discharged from hospital after treatment for an acute respiratory infection.

Speculation about the frail 92-year-old\'s health went into overdrive as he spent a second night in hospital while official details of his condition appeared subject to a virtual blackout.

But Mandela returned home today and officials moved to assure the public he was \"well\" and in high spirits, even joking with his wife and nurses.

Kgalema Motlanthe, acting president of South Africa while Jacob Zuma is abroad, told a packed press conference that he had just visited Mandela, who was sitting up in bed.

When I walked into the ward, his exact words were he was very happy to see me,\" said Motlanthe, adding that Mandela was making light of the situation with his wife, Graca Machel, and ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

He\'s in good spirits and was joking with us and teasing Graca and Mama Winnie and the sisters. Even for me to come to the press conference he told me, \'Look, I won\'t detain you any longer.\'\"

After 48 hours of febrile rumours, some of which suggested South Africa\'s first democratically elected president had suffered a collapsed lung, was in a coma or was already dead, officials said he had contracted an acute respiratory tract infection that was not life threatening.

Motlanthe told journalists gathered at Milpark hospital in Johannesburg: \"What I can convey is that he is receiving the best treatment from the best available health professionals in this country. That should reassure all of us that there is no need for us to panic, there is no need for us to fear for Madiba\'s [his clan name] health. He\'s in good hands.\"

The deputy president added: \"We should remain calm and continue with our prayers and well wishes that Madiba should be with us to celebrate his 93rd birthday in July and beyond.\"

A convoy of security vehicles and a military ambulance carrying the anti-apartheid hero left the hospital today, reaching his nearby home in the suburb of Houghton within minutes.

Vejay Ramlakan, surgeon-general of the South African national defence force, which provides specialised medical care to former presidents, said Mandela would now continue to receive the same level of treatment at home.

\"At present Dr Mandela is in high spirits and has been visited by his family and friends,\" he said. \"Medically, at present, there is no need to panic.

Dr Mandela suffers from diseases common to people of his age as well as conditions that have developed over the years for which he receives chronic medication. He recently developed an acute respiratory infection for which he received treatment and has responded very well. He is stable but will be monitored closely.\"

Ramlakan noted that Mandela had suffered tuberculosis while a prisoner on Robben Island and has had previous respiratory infections. \"Despite all of this, his amazing positive attitude allows him to cope with the difficulties of old age with the greatest of graces.\"

Ramlakan declined to give details of Mandela\'s condition, citing constraints of doctor-patient confidentiality. But he said: \"He is not receiving any kind of assisted ventilation or anything like that. He\'s going home and is subject to intense monitoring.

\"We are at the end of the day talking about somebody who is 92 years old. When you are 92 years old, what is routine is very different from when you are 19. But for a 92-year-old he surprises us on a daily basis with his power of recovery.\"

Mandela\'s grandson, Mandla, said the family was delighted he was going home. \"There was a lot of anxiety in the family to be with him,\" he said. \"We always give him that support to be with him as a family and have always over the years enjoyed his sense of humour. The older he gets, he continues to display that sense of humour. As a family we\'ve always enjoyed having my grandfather with us.

\"It comes to us today with great joy to hear that he\'s been discharged.\"

It was revealed that Mandela had received more than 10,000 messages of goodwill from around the world, including from Barack Obama.

Neighbours in Houghton were happy to have him back. \"Everyone was holding their hearts and saying not now,\" said Patricia Ramaila, who has lived across the street from Mandela for four years. \"A person like Mr Mandela – we still need him.\"

Two days of frenzied rumours, fuelled by websites such as Twitter, have forced South Africa to confront the mortality of its national figurehead, and tested to breaking point its ability to deal with global media scrutiny.

Motlanthe said: \"Madiba has received similar check-ups in the past and it\'s never raised the same public panic it has now.\" But he admitted that, with hindsight, communications should have been better. \"From now on we will keep you posted,\" he promised


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