Mandela in hospital for tests

Tests no cause for alarm, South African president says

Author: From Robyn Curnow CNN
Published On: Dec 08 2012 11:09:10 AM EST   Updated On: Dec 08 2012 11:31:53 AM EST
Nelson Mandela file photo
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -

South Africa's former leader Nelson Mandela has been admitted to a hospital in Pretoria for tests, but there is "no cause for alarm," President Jacob Zuma said Saturday.

Mandela "is doing well," Zuma said in a statement. "The medical team is assured of our support as they look after and ensure the comfort of our beloved founding president of a free and democratic South Africa."

Mandela, 94, will receive medical attention "from time to time, which is consistent with his age," Zuma said.

Mandela, a Nobel laureate, spent 27 years in prison for fighting against racial segregation in South Africa. He was elected president in 1994, four years after he was freed from prison.

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