Nelson Mandela’s Family Member Deeply Touched by Prayers around the World

Nelson Mandela's family members were all happy to receive the good news that their old men is responding positively to treatment. The family visited the hospital again

Mandla Mandela, Nelson mandela's grandson issued a public statement on behalf of the Mandela family saying that they were deeply touched by all the support, prayers and well wishes coming from all parts of the globe.

According to the statement, "The family is satisfied with the care that Madiba (Mandela's clan name) is receiving and share the hope of everyone for madiba's recovery. We are fully cognizant of the fact that millions of people in the country and around the world regard Madiba as their parent and therefore are as much concerned about his well-being as we are."

In an interview with NBC just outside the family home in Houghton, Pretoria, Mandla said that "We appreciate the support we have received. We are particularly honored to have received all the prayers and messages. We want to say thank you and we appreciate all the support you have shown to our grandfather and your father - because my grandfather is the father of the nation, because he is embraced by the whole global community - so we appreciate the support we have received."

According to NBC, this was the first time that then family expressed their feelings publicly since Saturday when Nelson Mandela was taken to the hospital for severe lung infection.

Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma, addressed the Parliament on Wednesday, announcing that indeed, their democracy icon is responding positively to treatment.

"I am happy to report that Madiba is responding better to treatment from this morning. We are very happy with the progress that he is now making, following a difficult last few days."

Mr. Zuma also acknowledged all the prayers and support coming from all over the world. He requested for people to continue praying for Nelson Mandela and to also include his doctors in the prayers.

Mr. Zuma said, "We appreciate the messages of support from all over the world, it is an honor for us South Africans to share Madiba with the international community. We fully understand and appreciate the global interest in this world icon. We are so proud to call him our own."

According to Mr. Zuma, Nelson Mandela and anti-apartheid heroes alike brought a significant change to South Africans' lives, "because of their sacrifices and the foundation that was laid for free and democratic South Africa, our country is a much better place to live in now than it was before 1994, even though we still have so much work to do."

For this reason, South Africans continued to pray and wait.

In a coverage shown by local broadcaster ENCA South Africans were gathering and praying at the park.

Sharon Dube, a South African praying alongside other supporters at Johannesburg park, said that "I'm praying because he is a hero. I want him to be alive."

Another local, Noel Ngwenya, said that "We're praying for him. But we cannot do anything. If the time comes, we wish for him a good way to go.

In an interview with Agence France-Presse, local Mkhuseli Gqabantshi shared that the townspeople viewed nelson Mandela as Jesus who had sacrificed himself for his people. "We will never see him again now, I don't think so really."

Andis Msongelwa, Nelson Mandela's distant relative said that South Africans need him.