Mandela Responding 'Positively' to Hospital Treatment

The 94-year-old was treated for the same condition in December. (Creative Commons)

This is the second time Mandela, who is widely referred to by his clan name of "Madiba," was hopsitalized this month. The anti-apartheid icon was treated for a lung infection in December and has not made a public appearance in South Africa since the World Cup in 2010.

South African President Jacob Zuma's office released the doctors' assessment that Mandela was responding "positively" to treatment.

"We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family, and to keep them in their thoughts," Zuma's office said.

Mandela is considered the founding father of South Africa's democracy. He was imprisoned for 27 years for fighting the racial segregation system of apartheid before becoming the nation's first democratically-elected president in 1994. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Last year, South Africa featured him on the front of banknotes.

The Associated Press contributed to reporting of this story.