He also quoted him extensively.
But information about Mandela’s health, of which Zuma acts as the ultimate gatekeeper, was not forthcoming.
Instead, the president reprimanded the Democratic Alliance on the matter of Mandela’s legacy.
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“We must not only focus on Madiba, the first president of a democratic South Africa who implemented ANC policies of reconciliation and transformation,” Zuma said, in his response to a parliamentary debate on the budget proposal of the presidency. “His reach, legacy and history must not be distorted. The way he is portrayed by the DA is as if Madiba was born in 1994 – there was no life before.”
In a statement issued on Thursday morning on a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, the government said Mandela was “responding well to treatment”, echoing the cautiously delivered good news provided by Zuma and the Mandela family the day before.
The presidency previously called on the public and media to respect Mandela’s privacy and said it would only make announcements about the state of his health if there were any notable changes.