By CNN Staff
JOHANNESBURG (CNN) — Nelson Mandela on Saturday morning underwent endoscopic surgery to have gall stones removed, President Jacob Zuma’s office said in a statement.
The procedure was successful and Mandela, who has been hospitalized since last weekend due to a recurring lung infection, is recovering, the statement said.
Mandela has not appeared in public since the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa. The former president gets round-the-clock care since abdominal surgery this year and an acute respiratory infection in 2011.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate spent 27 years in prison for fighting against oppression of blacks in South Africa. He became the nation’s first black president in 1994, four years after he was freed from prison.
Despite his rare appearances, Mandela retains his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy in the nation.
Just last month, South Africa launched a new batch of banknotes with a picture of a smiling Mandela on the front.
The new 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 rand banknotes all feature pictures of the global icon.
™ & © 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
