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Mandela medical drama
AFP reports that Mandela was in a ‘vegetative state’ have cause confusion among those keening following news about the ailing former President of South Africa.
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Reports by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Nelson Mandela was in a “permanent vegetative state” caused a lot of confusion around the world yesterday.These reports were based on court documents, dated June 26, that stated the ailing former president was in a “permanent vegetative state” last week and that doctors had advised the family to switch off machines that were keeping him alive.
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#BREAKING Mandela in ‘vegetative state’: court document dated June 26
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#BREAKING Doctors advised Mandela life support should be turned off: court document
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#UPDATE Doctors treating Mandela said he was in vegetative state; advised turning off life support, documents show bit.ly/18yGdhp
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Once these reports surfaced other news agencies repeated the information with some headlines implying that Mandela is still in that state.
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Reports say Nelson #Mandela is in a ‘vegetative state’ owl.li/mFkMI
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#Mandela “is in a permanent vegetative state and is assisted in breathing by a life support machine”, according to court documents – AFP
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Doctors tell family: Let Mandela go bit.ly/13w8GSG
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JUST IN: Doctors say Nelson Mandela is in a permanent vegetative state #EveNews
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People across the world responded to the news on Twitter.
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BREAKING: Very sad news, doctors say Nelson Mandela is now in ‘permanent vegetative state’ & have advised family to turn off life support.
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Hmmm @AlJazeeraStory is saying Mandela is in a permanent vegetative state. Sad. We are about to lose a TRUE revolutionary
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Permanent vegetative state? I hope they won’t do him like Ariel Sharon..because that’s just torture. That man been there since 2006
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Some journalists were however not convinced by the news and raised questions as to whether this was in fact his current health status. Debora Patta said AFP reports were creating confusion and asked Mandela’s doctors to address the public.
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Confusion again around @mandela. @AFP cites court papers saying he is in a vegetative state. @PresidencyZA denies it! Let the doctors speak
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In response, AFP reporter Andrew Beatty clarified that the AFP was making reference to Nelson Mandela’s health status last week and that this is not his current status.
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@Debora_Patta @julianrademeyer We said court docs from 26 June said he WAS in vegetative state. We don’t know if that is still true.
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Doctors treating former president Nelson Mandela have denied that he is in a vegetative state, the presidency says. bit.ly/14QFoLi
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According to a report by the Mail&Guardian, the Mandela family denied that they had made those claims in court.
Johannes Myburgh, a reporter for the AFP, tweeted pictures of the certificate of urgency as proof that the family had indeed made those claims on June 26. -
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Cover sheet of certificate of urgency on Mandela’s health obtained by #AFP. Lawyers argued for urgent case on graves pic.twitter.com/3Rx1UIcGU4 -
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Mandela in “permanent vegetative state”, according to certificate of urgency pic.twitter.com/eQBQyMNQLP -
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Doctors recommended switching off Mandela’s life support machines, according to certificate of urgency pic.twitter.com/XFZTytySeF -
The presidency however sticks to it’s statement that Mandela is “critical but stable”. Journalists are now calling on the doctors themselves to address the media.
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Has the time finally come for #Madiba‘s Drs to speak? So much unverified info, it’s impossible to know who to believe!
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@KatyKatopodis the doctors should have spoken on #Mandela long ago. Elsewhere it would be entirely normal for doctors to so briefings.
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Meanwhile, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, has called for the family to end the feud that is threatening to “besmirch” the Mandela name.
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This was after Mandla Mandela held a press conference yesterday revealing intimate family issues. He was responding after a High Court judgement against him in the matter of the removal of the remains of family members from the family grave site in Qunu.
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Mandla Mandela ‘heirs’ dirty laundry
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Nelson Mandela remains in hospital for the 28th day now fighting a recurring lung infection. According to the Presidency he remains critical but stable.
