Mandela hospitalised with stomach ailment

Johannesburg: Former South African President Nelson Mandela has been hospitalized with a stomach ailment, according to a government statement issued Saturday about the 93-year-old anti-apartheid icon. [caption id=“attachment_225203” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“SA President Zuma asked South Africans to respect Mandela’s privacy: NY Times”]  [/caption] President Jacob Zuma asked that Mandela’s privacy be respected, and did not say at which hospital Mandela was being treated. Mac Maharaj, Zuma’s spokesman, said he could not elaborate but that he would be issuing regular updates. Mandela became South Africa’s 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. Associated Press