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Mandela Seen On TV For First Time In A Year

Mandela Seen On TV For First Time In A Year

Nelson Mandela has made his first television appearance in almost a year.

The anti-apartheid hero looked thin and frail in his Johannesburg home, where he has been resting after a bout of pneumonia.

The veteran leader stared mostly straight ahead, his face showing little expression in the footage which shows a visit from President Jacob Zuma and other officials.

The footage was aired by state broadcaster SABC.

The ruling African National Congress said after the visit on Monday that the 94-year-old was in good health and good spirits.

It was the first update on his condition since he was discharged from hospital in early April.

The footage showed Mr Mandela sitting next to Mr Zuma with a pillow behind his head and his legs propped up under a blanket.

An ANC spokesman said: "After receiving a briefing from the medical team, the national officials are satisfied that President Mandela is in good health and is receiving the very best medical care."

Mr Zuma and the other leaders had found Mr Mandela "in good shape and in good spirits", the party added in a statement.

Mr Mandela spent more than a week in hospital being treated for a recurring lung infection identified as pneumonia - the third health scare in four months for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

He stepped down as president in 1999 and has not been politically active for about a decade.

But he is still revered at home and abroad for leading the long campaign against apartheid and then championing racial reconciliation.

He last appeared in Britain in 2008 when he met the Queen, politicians and celebrities.

Mr Mandela's lung problems date from his time as a political prisoner when he contracted tuberculosis.

He spent 27 years on Robben Island and in other jails for trying to oust the apartheid-era white-minority government.

Television stations showed still images of Mr Mandela smiling broadly during a visit by Hillary Clinton to his country home in August.

The last video footage of Mr Mandela showed his birthday celebrations in July last year.