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South Africa: Nelson Mandela continues to make steady recovery
Once the yoke of the brutal apartheid system was thrown off, it began governing South Africa in a blaze of goodwill from world leaders who viewed it as a beacon for a troubled world.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mandela has a history of lung problems dating back to when he contracted tuberculosis as a political prisoner. He spent 27 years in prison, including 18 years on the windswept Robben Island off Cape Town.
Mandela was also admitted to hospital in February because of abdominal pain but released the following day after a keyhole examination showed there was nothing seriously wrong with him.
He has spent most of his time since then in another home in Qunu, his ancestral village in the Eastern Cape province.
His poor health has prevented him from making public appearances in the past two years, although he has continued to receive high-profile visitors, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
