Nelson Mandela breathing without difficulty - presidency

Nelson Mandela is breathing without difficulty, South Africa's presidency has said, as he spends a third day in hospital with a lung infection.

Mr Mandela, 94, was comfortable and was continuing to respond to treatment, the statement said.

It said Mr Mandela had developed a pleural effusion - excess fluid in the lungs which had been drained to enable him to breathe more easily.

There are no details yet on how long he will remain in hospital.

After Mr Mandela was admitted to hospital late on Wednesday, President Jacob Zuma said people "must not panic".

The former president first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained on windswept Robben Island.

His lungs are said to have been damaged while working in a prison quarry. This latest spell in hospital is his fourth in just over two years.

Mr Mandela served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is regarded by many as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid.