Mandela Suffering From Tuberculosis, Lawyer Says

Jailed black nationalist Nelson Mandela has tuberculosis and has been coughing up blood, his lawyer said today after visiting the African National Congress leader at a hospital.

Ismail Ayob, the lawyer, said Mandela’s family were urging President Pieter W. Botha to allow an independent medical examination of the 70-year-old prisoner, South Africa’s best-known black leader.

The ANC, meanwhile, accused prison officials of “callous neglect” in responding to the health problems that led to Mandela’s hospitalization.

Mandela was transferred Friday from Cape Town’s Pollsmoor Prison to nearby Tygerberg Hospital.

Inflamed Left Lung

Doctors say he has an inflamed left lung and is in satisfactory condition after the removal of a drainage tube from the lung. They have not confirmed publicly that Mandela has tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis, which causes fatigue, fever, weight loss, coughing and chest pain, is a contagious bacterial infection that can be disabling or fatal. It responds to treatment with drugs.

Mandela was visited today by his wife, Winnie, and youngest daughter, Zindzi, as well as Ayob. Several hundred people who gathered outside the hospital cheered and gave clenched-fist salutes as the three emerged.

They made no statement at the time, but flew back to Johannesburg, where Ayob made his announcement.

‘In Bed ... a Whole Week’

A statement was issued on behalf of the Mandela family asking Botha to allow them to choose a team of doctors to “conduct an independent examination in order to remove any doubts which the family may feel regarding the nature, cause and cure of Mr. Mandela’s illness.”

Earlier today, the ANC said Mandela “was lying in bed unable to eat and exercise and had difficulty speaking for a whole week” before being hospitalized.

“Although prison authorities were obviously aware that he was ill, nothing was done until his condition had deteriorated to the critical point where he had to be rushed to the hospital,” the ANC said in a statement from its Lusaka, Zambia, headquarters.