Nightly News   |  February 25, 2012

Nelson Mandela in South Africa hospital

South Africa’s 93-year-old former leader remains hospitalized. NBC News Special Correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault reports on his progress.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> now, to the other big story that a lot of other folks woke up to morning, news that nelson mandela has been hospitalized. nbc news special correspondent char lain hunter-gault is joining us from johannesburg with the latest on his condition. good evening.

>> reporter: good evening, lester. well, the news tonight is cautiously optimistic. the word is that nelson mandela is resting comfortably after being admitted to hospital this morning with stomach pains , abdominal pains . and there's a bit of question about just what was the nature of those abdominal pains because the government unlike in his previous admission to hospital has seized the opportunity to take control of the word that's going out exactly about what's happening with former president mandela. so they have said simply there was a procedure, they haven't said whether it was surgical or just what it was exactly. but they are saying now that he is resting comfortably and possibly may go home either sunday or monday. right now, the rest of the country is sort of holding their breath because nelson mandela is really the heart of this nation. so some hearts are palpitating because of his condition. but everybody is hoping that he pulls through this as he has in the past.

>> all right, thank you for the update.