Nelson Mandela's condition remains "critical but stable", South African President Jacob Zuma said today hoping the anti-apartheid icon would leave hospital soon, as US President Barack Obama visits the country.
"These are very excellent doctors who are dealing with him," Zuma said in a joint press conference with Obama.
"We hope that very soon he will be out of hospital," he added.
Zuma called Mandela the "founding president of our democracy who is much loved by our people and the world".
Obama, here on an official visit, plans to meet with Mandela's relatives privately, but does not intend to see the man he has called a "personal hero".
Mandela, who turns 95 on July 18, has been admitted to a hospital here since June 8 with a recurring lung infection.
Obama decided not to visit his hero in hospital to preserve the "peace and comfort" of the legendary leader.
"The triumph of Nelson Mandela and this nation speaks to something very deep in the human spirit," Obama said after talks with Zuma.
Zuma said Obama and Mandela were "bound by history" as the first black leaders of their respective nations.
"You both carry the dreams of millions of people in Africa," he said.
"I know that he is your personal hero," Zuma told Obama as he reflected on Mandela's health.
Obama had earlier said that Mandela's 27 years in prison and his long struggle against apartheid was a source of "personal inspiration" to him.
Obama also said yesterday that he did not need a photo-op with Mandela, whom he met briefly in 2005.
Obama's visit has been overshadowed by the critical illness of Mandela as he fights for his life in hospital, entering the fourth week of his stay.
