Nelson Mandela Believed To Be Spending His Tenth Day In Hospital

Nelson Mandela has spent his ninth night in hospital in Pretoria while a police presence remains at his Soweto home.

MEDICLINIC HEART HOSPITAL, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (APRIL 6, 2013) (REUTERS) -  Nelson Mandela is believed to be spending his tenth day in hospital on Saturday (April 6) after being admitted with pneumonia. He is said to be making a "continuous improvement", according to South African president Jacob Zuma, who visited him on Friday (April 5).

This is the third health scare in four months for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and was hailed as a global symbol of tolerance and harmony.He was in hospital briefly in early March for a check-up and prior to that in December for nearly three weeks with a lung infection and after surgery to remove gallstones.

Mandela stepped down as president in 1999 and has not been politically active for a decade. But he is still revered at home and abroad for leading the struggle against apartheid rule and then championing racial reconciliation while in office.

Mandela has a history of lung problems dating back to when he contracted tuberculosis as a political prisoner. He spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island and in other jails for his attempts to overthrow the white-minority government.