Mandela critical but stable, South Africa prepares

South African President Jacob Zuma offered reassurance to a worried nation Thursday, saying beloved anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela is in “now stable” condition, though still critically ill. An official briefed on his condition said he was on life support. In an interview earlier Mr. Mandela’s eldest daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, described his condition as “very critical” and warned, “Anything is imminent.” “I won’t lie,” she added. “It doesn’t look good.” Mandela was admitted to the hospital with a serious lung infection almost three weeks ago. The alarms began sounding late on Wednesday, when Mr. Zuma abruptly canceled a visit to neighboring Mozambique, and later visited Mr. Mandela in the hospital for the second time in just over 12 hours. The worries increased as South African leaders prepared to welcome President Obama on Friday.

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