Nelson Mandela is discharge

Former President Nelson Mandela has
been discharged from a hospital and will
continue receiving treatment at his home
in Houghton, a spokesman for South
African President Jacob Zuma told CNN on
Wednesday.
Mandela, 94, was treated for an acute
respiratory infection in 2011. He was
hospitalized for a lung infection on
December 8; and on December 15, he
underwent surgery for removal of
gallstones.
Mandela has not appeared in public since
the 2010 World Cup hosted in his
country.
During the time of apartheid in South
Africa, Mandela was convicted of sabotage
and was imprisoned for 27 years until
1990.
He and former President F.W. de Klerk,
who dismantled apartheid, shared the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. A year later,
Mandela became the nation's first black
president.
South Africa last month issued banknotes
bearing the picture of Mandela.
Despite his rare public appearances in
recent years, Mandela retains his
popularity and is considered a hero of
democracy in the nation.
South Africans celebrated his 94th
birthday in July by participating in good
deeds nationwide to honor the legacy of
the famous statesman.
Citizens performed at least 67 minutes of
public service on his birthday, a reference
to the number of years he devoted to
helping others.
A day before his birthday, former U.S.
President Bill Clinton and his daughter,
Chelsea, had lunch with Mandela in the
small southeastern village where he grew
up and spends most of his time.
Clinton, whose presidential term
coincided with Mandela's, hailed him as a
"wonderful friend" and planted a tree in
his honor during the visit.
"He didn't call me a single time, not
once, when he didn't ask about Hillary
(Clinton) and Chelsea," Clinton said of
their conversations during their time in
office. "If it wasn't too late, he'd ask me
to go get Chelsea, bring her to the phone,
ask about her homework."
Clinton said the anti-apartheid icon has
never lost touch with his humanity.
"I saw in him something that I try not to
lose in myself, which is no matter how
much responsibility you have, he
remembered you were a person first," he
said.
Mandela's impact has extended far
beyond the borders of his own country.
After he left office in 1999, he was
involved in international situations
ranging from conflicts in Africa to the
Mideast.
In January 2000, he addressed the United
Nations Security Council, appealing for
help in ending the brutal civil war
between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in
Burundi. In December 2003, he
participated in the signing of the Geneva
Accords for peace in the Middle East.
A bronze statue of Mandela was unveiled
in Parliament Square in London in 2007,
and in 2009 the United Nations
designated July 18 as Mandela Day in
2009.