Former President Nelson Mandela has voted at home in South Africa’s local elections, two days early, like others unable to reach a polling station.<\/p>\n
His foundation released the first photographs of the 92-year-old hero of the fight against white minority rule since he was hospitalised in January.<\/p>\n
He was accompanied by his wife, daughter and granddaughter.<\/p>\n
He has not appeared at a public engagement since the closing ceremony of the football World Cup in July 2010.<\/p>\n
Mr Mandela has appeared increasingly frail on his infrequent public appearances since retiring from public life in 2004.<\/p>\n
The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been treated at home since his release from hospital following an acute respiratory infection.<\/p>\n
But Independent Electoral Commission chairwoman Brigalia Bam told Radio 702 that he was well enough to vote on his own.<\/p>\n
“Amazingly enough, the presiding officer was trying to help, and he Mandela said: ‘No, no, no. I’m fine. I don’t need any help’,” she said.<\/p>\n
She also said the former president had been looking forward to voting “so much”.<\/p>\n
Mr Mandela, known to South Africans by his clan name Madiba, was imprisoned for 27 years by the apartheid government.<\/p>\n
He was released from jail in 1990 and went on to lead the African National Congress to a landslide victory in 1994 – the first time South Africa’s black majority was allowed to vote.<\/p>\n
He stood down as president in 1999 but the ANC retains a massive majority in parliament and runs all but one of the country’s provinces.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Former President Nelson Mandela has voted at home in South Africa’s local elections, two days early, like others unable to reach a polling station. His foundation released the first photographs of the 92-year-old hero of the fight against white minority rule since he was hospitalised in January. He was accompanied by his wife, daughter and granddaughter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-425450","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"yoast_head":"\n
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