Ex-wife says Mandela is quite ill
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Johannesburg (dpa) - Nelson Mandela, 95, remains "quite ill" and is unable to speak because of tubes in his mouth that are keep his lungs free of fluid, his former wife told the Sunday Independent newspaper.
Ex-wife says Mandela unable to speak
"The bedroom there (in Houghton) is like an ICU ward. He remains quite ill," Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was quoted as saying by the SAPA news agency.
"Though the pneumonia has cleared, his lungs remain sensitive, hence the tubes," she said. "He communicates with the face, you see. But the doctors have told us they hope to recover his voice."
She dismissed as nonsense reports that the former South African president was on life support, adding that it was good for him to be home "in an atmosphere he recognizes."
She continued: "When he is very relaxed, he is fine and it has given us a lot of hope."
