Govt dismisses Mandela in vegetative condition

JOHANNESBURG - The South African government on Thursday evening dismissed the report that Mandela is in a vegetative condition in hospital.

"The Presidency has noted media reports about the condition of former president Mandela and would like to make a clarification," said the Presidency in a statement.

On Thursday some South African media reported that Mandela is in a permanent vegetative state with a life support machine keeping him alive.

The Presidency said,"We confirm our earlier statement released this afternoon after President Jacob Zuma visited Madiba (Mandela nickname) in hospital that Madiba remains in a critical but stable condition."

"The doctors deny that the former president is in a vegetative state," added the Presidency.

The Presidency said, "Mandela remains under the care of a multi-disciplinary panel of South African medical experts."

On Thursday the 94-year-old former president Mandela is spending his 26th day at the Pretoria hospital since he was admitted there from his Johannesburg residence with the serious recurring lung infection on June 8.

On March 27, Mandela was also hospitalized after doctors diagnosed him of having pneumonia.

Mandela suffered from tuberculosis when he was incarcerated for 27 years before the apartheid ended in 1994.