Mandela responding to treatment: Zuma

Ailing former South African president Nelson Mandela was responding to treatment although he remained critical, said President Jacob Zuma Tuesday.

Mandela, who was discharged from hospital on Sep 1, had reached a point of progress that allowed him to receive treatment at home, Zuma told media persons.

However, Zuma acknowledged that Mandela, 95, "is old and he is not well", according to Xinhua.

Assuring that Mandela would receive proper care at his Johannesburg home, the president said: "We are very happy that he has gone home, that he is still with us."

Mandela has been treated by a large medical team from the military, academia, public and private sector, according to presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj. The former president's home has been reconfigured to provide him intensive care.

If required, another admission to hospital will be done in future, added Maharaj.

Mandela was admitted to a Pretoria hospital June 8 for a recurring lung infection as a result of tuberculosis he developed while serving prison terms under the apartheid rule.