Former South African President Mandela goes home to rest

Former South African President Mandela goes home to rest

2011-05-23 15:50:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

JOHANNESBURG (BNO NEWS) -- Former South African President Nelson Mandela went back to his home in the Eastern Cape on Sunday to rest, the government said. It is his first public appearance in months.

Mandela, 92, was briefly hospitalized in late January in order to undergo a series of routine tests which are common for people of his age. "He is in no danger and is in good spirits," spokesperson Sello Hatang said in January. He was not seen in public since.

"We are pleased that he is now well enough to travel," President Jacob Zuma said on Monday. His office said Mandela arrived at his home in Qunu, Eastern Cape on Sunday.

"[it is] a normal scheduled visit accompanied by his family members, as well as security and medical personnel," South Africa's presidential office said in a statement. "We thank the public and the media for granting him privacy in the last three months, and we urge them to continue to do so."

Mandela served as president of South Africa from 1994 until 1999 and became internationally known as a figure of the anti-apartheid movement. He released a book entitled "Conversations with Myself" last year which was sold in 22 editions and 20 languages.

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