Doctors doing everything to make ailing Mandela 'feel comfortable': President Zuma

Doctors were doing everything possible to ensure former South African President Nelson Mandela, who remained in a critical condition in hospital, was comfortable and in his interest, President Jacob Zuma said.

Zuma at a briefing at the National Editors' Forum in Johannesburg said he saw Mandela in hospital last night and spoke to the former president's wife, Graca Machel, and medical team.

According to news.com.au, earlier this morning, a statement from Zuma's office said he was informed by the medical team that Mandela's condition had become critical in the past 24 hours.

Zuma said, in the statement, using Mandela's clan name, the doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable.

He said that the doctors also dismissed media reports that Madiba suffered cardiac arrest.

Zuma appealed to South Africans and the rest of the world to pray for Mandela, his family and the medical team that is attending to him, the report added.