Nelson Mandela hospitalized with stomach ailment

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Nelson Mandela hospitalized with stomach ailment

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South Africa's President issued a statement asking that Mandela's privacy be respected.

25 February,2012 02:40 pm

South Africas president says 93-year-old anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has been hospitalized with a stomach ailment.President Jacob Zuma issued a brief statement Saturday in which he asked that Mandelas privacy be respected. He did not say at which hospital Mandela was being treated.Mac Maharaj, Zumas spokesman, said he could not elaborate but that he would be issuing regular updates.Mandela became South Africas first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.His public appearances have become increasingly rare, and he was hospitalized last year for a few days with an acute respiratory infection.