Former South African president Nelson Mandela arrived back at his home after undergoing a laparoscopy for an abdominal problem at hospital.
He left the Johannesburg hospital in a convoy after undergoing the procedure on Saturday.
Current leader Jacob Zuma said: "We thank all South Africans for their love and support of Madiba (Mr Mandela). We also thank all for affording Madiba and his family privacy and dignity."
Mr Mandela, 93, had an investigative laparoscopy , a procedure in which the abdominal area is probed by tiny cameras inserted through small incisions, the nation's defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu said.
"He's fine and he is recovering from anaesthetic and he is as fine as can be at his age," she said.
Mr Mandela's granddaughter Ndileka told Sky News: "He is fine. He is doing well."
The Nobel peace laureate, who is simply known as Madiba by most South Africans, retired from public life in June 2004 and has been rarely seen since.
His last official photograph was in September 2011, which showed him celebrating the birth of his latest great grandchild.
Mr Zuma on Saturday said Mr Mandela was admitted for a long-standing abdominal complaint.
Mr Mandela had undergone the probe because of ongoing discomfort, but Ms Sisulu said: "There never was anything wrong with him.
"The only way that we could finally get to the bottom of this is by taking him to hospital and having a number of tests to find out if in fact what was prescribed, what we were giving him, was working and if we could not make it any better."
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