Former South African President Nelson Mandela has left hospital after almost three weeks to receive further care at his home in Johannesburg, presidential spokesman says.

“This evening… former President Mandela was discharged from the hospital. He will now undergo home-based high care at his home in Johannesburg until he recovers fully,” said Mac Maharaj, spokesman for South African President Jacob Zuma, on Wednesday.

The 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon, who had been hospitalized for a lung infection on December 8, had an operation to remove gallstones via endoscopy at the private hospital in Pretoria on December 15.


Mandela, whose lung problems date back to when he contracted tuberculosis while in prison, was hospitalized for an acute respiratory infection in January 2011.

The latest stay in the hospital was however the longest in recent memory.

The Nobel Peace laureate, who led the country to democracy in 1994, left office in 1999 after serving one term as president.

Seen as South Africa’s moral compass, the highly revered leader announced his retirement from public life in 2004, but continued to make a few public appearances.

His last major public appearance was at the final match of the FIFA World Cup in 2010.