Toronto choral group visits Mandela hospital
As Nelson Mandela undergoes treatment
for a lung infection after nearly a month
in hospital, people continue to pay tribute
to him, calling at an informal tribute wall
to him near the hospital.
On Saturday, the Toronto Children's
Chorus, who are on tour in South Africa,
stopped outside the Medi-Clinic Heart
Hospital in Pretoria to sing a New Zealand
aboriginal song of blessing.
Wendy Hannam is a chaperone with the
group.
"I think we will loose an incredibly gifted
leader and the person who has had a
huge impact in such a positive way on
bringing this country together and in
choosing a path of reconciliation when he
came to power, to truly try to unite all
people in the country. We will loose a
great, great, great man."
Mandela is responding to treatment and
the 94-year-old's condition remains
critical, but stable after more than a
month in the hospital, South Africa's
President, Jacob Zuma said recently.
The anti-apartheid hero was admitted to
hospital on June 8 for what the
government said was a recurring lung
infection, and his condition has been
critical for over two weeks.
Mandela is well known for his 27 years of
imprisonment under white ruled South
Africa and his role in bringing
reconciliation to the country after he
became the country's first elected black
president.
South Africa is preparing to celebrate
Mandela's 95th birthday on July 18, which
is also Nelson Mandela International Day.
