Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images
A group of well-wishers hold candles and a photo of Nelson Mandela on Thursday as they pray for his recovery outside a Pretoria hospital.
By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News
Barack Obama described Nelson Mandela as a ?personal hero? ahead of his scheduled arrival in South Africa on Friday but it was unclear whether the president would visit the ailing anti-apartheid icon in hospital.
U.S. officials said Thursday that it would be up to Mandela?s family whether Obama would be able to see him.
"We are going to completely defer to the wishes of the Mandela family and work with the South African government as relates to our visit," Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser, told reporters in Senegal. "Whatever the Mandela family deems appropriate, that's what we're focused on doing in terms of our interaction with them."
Outside the hospital in Pretoria, where former South African president Nelson Mandela has been hospitalized with a lung infection, a vigil continues with people offering prayers, songs and good wishes. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
When asked by NBC News Special Correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault?whether the family would welcome a visit by Obama, Mandela's daughter Zindzi?said she wasn't aware of any formal request. However, she added that decision would be left with doctors treating the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
On Tuesday, Zindzi Mandela said that her father ?opened his eyes and gave me a smile? when she told him Obama was coming.
U.S. officials told Reuters that the president?s trip would serve largely as a tribute to Mandela, known affectionately as "Madiba," whether the two men were able to meet or not.
"I've had the privilege of meeting Madiba and speaking to him. And he's a personal hero, but I don't think I'm unique in that regard," Obama said on Thursday. "If and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we'll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages."
In the latest statement on Mandela?s condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said the 94-year-old was ?much better? on Thursday than he had been the previous night. "The medical team continues to do a sterling job," he added.
In her exclusive interview with NBC News on Thursday, Zindzi Mandela said her father was ?very comfortable.?
?His whole legacy is about fighting,? she said. ?I can't stress enough what a fighter he is. He?s a strong man. He's about resilience.?
A statement issued by Zuma?s office said he and Obama would hold ?crucial bilateral talks that will take forward relations between the two countries? on Saturday.
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View images of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, who went from anti-apartheid activist to prisoner to South Africa's first black president.
?South Africa values its warm and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States immensely. This is a significant visit which will take political, economic and people to people relations between the two countries to a higher level, while also enhancing cooperation between U.S. and the African continent at large,? it said.
The talks are expected to cover trade, education, health, development, and security. The statement said there were 600 American companies employing 150,000 people in South Africa.
It noted Obama?s visit was being made as South Africa prepares to celebrate ?20 years of freedom? ? 1994 saw the first elections in the country in which all its citizens were eligible to vote. Mandela voted for the first time in his life in that year and was elected the country?s first black president, serving until 1999.
?South Africa greatly appreciates the solidarity provided by the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the United States during the struggle for liberation,? the statement said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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This story was originally published on Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:05 AM EDT
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