Journalists Search for Nelson Mandela

Mandela is in the hospital and for the past five days journalists in South Africa have camping outside Military 1 hospital in Pretoria reporting on his condition  just to be told that they were at the wrong hospital.

 Just yesterday reporters  learned that they  were at the wrong site when the presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj  inform them that the former president was at a separate unidentified hospital.”

The mix-up occurred amid rumors that Mandela had died, which his spokesman denied, but neither the family nor the government are disclosing his location.
 
However government still persist that  Mandela was still receiving treatment in hospital.
“The doctors attending to former president Nelson Mandela report that he has had a comfortable 24 hours and that he remains under treatment in hospital,” said presidency spokesman Mac Maharaj.

He said doctors had not given any information about when he might be released.
Rainy weather has not discouraged news crews camping outside the Hospital in Pretoria, in an attempt to get updates on Mandela’s health.

Mandela is believed to be recuperating in the private institution, despite confirmation on Monday by Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula that the statesman was at a military facility.

Yesterday, journalists from local and international media parked their vehicles along Celliers Street, overlooking the private hospital’s main entrance.

Among the media there was the Eyewitness News (EWN) team which reported that: “The name of the hospital is known by Eyewitness News, but this is not being released to respect Madiba’s dignity.”
That report shifted attention from the 1 Military Hospital at the Thaba Tshwane Military Base where the media had been camping since last weekend.

Since yesterday morning, the number of journalists kept increasing at Mediclinic as details of the reported new hospital filtered through.

At around midday, a convoy of three black vehicles with police lights and sirens entered the Mediclinic Heart Hospital.

Hospital security barred journalists from following the cars into the premises.
Moments later, the vehicles came out escorting a fourth one – a black military ambulance with yellow army number plates.

At that stage reporters at the scene were speculating that Madiba may have been discharged.
However, journalists stationed at the 1 Military Hospital across town reported that the convoy entered the state facility after leaving the private hospital.

EWN reported on Thursday that Mandela (94) was not receiving treatment at the military facility as had been widely reported after Mapisa-Nqakula’s interview.

Mapisa-Nqakula spoke to reporters outside 1 Military Hospital after seemingly visiting Mandela there.
At the time, she said: “He’s doing very, very well and it is important to keep him in our prayers and also to be as calm as possible and not cause a state of panic, because I think that is not what all of us need.”

The presidency said it had not been the government’s intention to mislead the public or the media.
Maharaj said he had only stated Mandela had been admitted to a Pretoria hospital.

“It is not part of any strategy or tactic by government to mislead the public. We have never had that intention. We know to keep to the facts and we’ve been rigorous,” he said in an interview on Talk Radio 702.
The Beeld newspaper reported that Mandela had been admitted under a pseudonym, which was known to the newspaper.

Mandela was flown to Pretoria from his home in Qunu, in the Eastern Cape.
The presidency said he was suffering from the recurrence of a previous lung infection and was responding to treatment.

Mandela’s hospital stay is his longest continuous period in hospital since 2001, when he underwent seven weeks of radiotherapy after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was 83 at the time.
In January 2011, Mandela was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for an acute respiratory infection. He had contracted tuberculosis while in prison.