‘I AM STILL FIRM AND SOLID’ – ODOKI

<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_181582" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; width: 604px;"><a href="http://in2eastafrica.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Chief-Justice-Benjamin-Odoki.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Justice Benjamin Odoki " class="size-full wp-image-181582" height="374" src="http://in2eastafrica.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Chief-Justice-Benjamin-Odoki.jpg" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="594" /></span></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px 4px 5px;">Justice Benjamin Odoki</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Odoki has recently been at the centre of public debate following President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoweri_Museveni" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Yoweri Museveni">Yoweri Museveni</a>’s decision to reappoint him on a two year contract even after his retirement.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">However, opponents to the reappointment say that it contravenes Article 144 (1) (a) of the constitution which bars any person aged 70 years and above to be appointed or to act as Chief Justice.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://in2eastafrica.net/category/general-info/uganda-general-info/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Uganda">Uganda</a> Law Society is seeking to challenge the legality of the reappointment of Odoki; and on Thursday resolved to write to Odoki asking him to reject the appointment. They are also to petition Parliament to decline Odoki’s approval.</div><a href="" name="more" style="background-color: #fb5e53; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></a><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">But in a veiled response on Friday, Justice Odoki said, “I am still firm and solid. I still love my country and as long as I have energy, I promise to serve my country.”</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Odoki was speaking at a ceremony to install the state minister for water Betty Bigombe as a goodwill ambassador for Always Be Tolerant (ABETO) in <a href="http://in2eastafrica.net/kampala-the-capital-city-of-uganda/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Kampala">Kampala</a>.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">ABETO is a non-governmental organization that promotes values of peace and democracy. The NGO organizes peace awards to personalities that are instrumental in upholding and promoting peace in Africa.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Justice Odoki said that he is a strong believer in constitutionalism to which he has spent a considerable amount of time of his life promoting, and contributed to the formulation of the 1995 Constitution.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">“I want to assure Ugandans that I will respect it until I go to my grave. I also urge all Ugandans to respect the constitution,” Odoki added.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Bigombe was installed goodwill ambassador in recognition of her role in pacifying northern Uganda as well as initiating contact with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony for peace talks.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Odoki who is also a goodwill ambassador of ABETO said, “I have the fullest trust that the involvement of Betty Bigombe as ABETO’s goodwill ambassador will be of great value to ABETO and the nation as a whole. She has a brilliant track record of serving this country in various capacities.”</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The ABETO chairman Moses Musana noted that the recent action by the Uganda Law Society to suspend Attorney General Peter Nyombi from the professional body was disrespectful and demonstrated intolerance.</div>

‘I AM STILL FIRM AND SOLID’ – ODOKI

Justice Benjamin Odoki Odoki has recently been at the centre of public debate following President  Yoweri Museveni ’s decision to reappoint ...

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UGANDA’S JUSTICE MINISTER LASHES OUT AT AFRICAN LEADERS....

<h3 style="background-color: white; background-image: url(http://in2eastafrica.net/wp-content/themes/NewsNew/images/smalldot.gif); background-position: 0px 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border: none; font-family: 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 25px 0px 18px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; position: relative; text-align: justify;">KAMPALA – Justice and constitutional affairs minister Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire has lashed out at African leaders and governments that spend most of their time engaging in political survival at the expense of delivering services to its citizens.</h3><div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_257092" style="background-color: #f3f3f3; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; width: 605px;"><a href="http://in2eastafrica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Kahinda-Otafiire.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Justice and constitutional affairs minister Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire" class="size-full wp-image-257092" height="400" src="http://in2eastafrica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Kahinda-Otafiire.jpg" style="border: 0px none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="595" /></span></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px 4px 5px;">Justice and constitutional affairs minister Maj. Gen. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahinda_Otafiire" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Kahinda Otafiire">Kahinda Otafiire</a></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Otafiire said on Monday that Africa is lagging behind in development largely because of leaders who have failed to plan for their citizens.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Speaking as chief guest at the opening of a five-day symposium on civil registration at Speke Resort Munyonyo, the minister warned that time is up for such leaders and governments.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">“When leaders or a government cannot plan for its people and deliver services, that government is meant for the slaughter house.</div><a href="" name="more" style="background-color: #fb5e53; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></a><br style="background-color: #fb5e53; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">“You cannot govern when you cannot fulfill the covenant between you and the people who put you there,” he said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Otafiire said Africa is lagging behind because most leaders have not invested in science.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The symposium, that has drawn delegates from 14 countries, including Angola, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, <a href="http://in2eastafrica.net/category/general-info/kenya/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Kenya">Kenya</a>, Belgium and India, is organised by the <a href="http://in2eastafrica.net/category/general-info/uganda-general-info/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Uganda">Uganda</a> Registration Services Bureau.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">It is aimed at enhancing innovations for the improvement of national civil registration and vital statistics.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">The countries are here to understudy Uganda in the area of registration of births and deaths given that Uganda is the first country to pioneer the Mobile Vital Records System.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 16px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">Under the system, births and deaths are recorded in real time in 135 hospitals countrywide using mobile phones and the Internet.</div>

UGANDA’S JUSTICE MINISTER LASHES OUT AT AFRICAN LEADERS....

KAMPALA – Justice and constitutional affairs minister Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire has lashed out at African leaders and governments that spen...

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John Kerry said that "US has evidence that sarin gas was used in SYRIA ATTACK...."

<div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69590000/jpg/_69590168_69590167.jpg" /></div><div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><br /></div><div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The US has evidence that the chemical nerve agent sarin was used in a deadly attack in Damascus last month, Secretary of State John Kerry says.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">He said samples from hair and blood gathered after the attack "tested positive for signatures of sarin".</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The US blames the Syrian government for the 21 August attack. President Barack Obama has vowed punitive action but wants Congress to vote on it first.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Syria dismissed the delay and said it was ready for any strike.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">UN experts have been in Syria gathering evidence to determine whether chemical weapons attacks have taken place on various occasions. They have now arrived in the Netherlands with samples for analysis.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The biggest and deadliest apparent attack took place on 21 August in east Damascus. The US says more than 1,400 people were killed.</div><div id="story_continues_2" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Washington said only the Damascus government has the capacity to launch such an attack.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Syria has denied it was responsible and blames the rebels.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Mr Kerry implied that the US evidence was supplied by its own sources, rather than via the UN inspectors.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">"In the last 24 hours, we have learned through samples that were provided to the United States that have now been tested from first responders in east Damascus and hair samples and blood samples have tested positive for signatures of Sarin," Kerry said on NBC's Meet The Press.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">"So this case is building and this case will build."</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The US <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/30/government-assessment-syrian-government-s-use-chemical-weapons-august-21" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-decoration: none;">has previously said it had similar evidence</a> of sarin use in other attacks.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Mr Kerry also said he was confident that Congress would give its approval for the US to launch strikes against Syria after it reconvenes on 9 September.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said Mr Obama's decision to delay the strikes pending a vote in Congress was just "a political and media manoeuvre".</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">He said Syria was "still prepared" for any attack.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The state-run Al-Thawra newspaper said Obama's decision was "the beginning of the historic American retreat".</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><span class="cross-head" style="color: #505050; display: block; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">'Failure in leadership'</span></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Syria is known to have extensive supplies of chemical weapons.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Mr Obama has often said that using them would cross a "red line", prompting US intervention.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">On Saturday, Mr Obama said any action would be limited, ruling out a ground invasion.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Congress is due to reconvene on 9 September, meaning any military operation would not happen until then.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The BBC's Jeremy Bowen in the Syrian capital, Damascus, says there is some relief in the city among those who feared that US attacks could start this weekend.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">He says the delay could give the government time to move some sensitive military equipment.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69574000/jpg/_69574015_69574014.jpg" /></div><div class="videoInStoryB" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; width: 448px;"><div class="caption" style="clear: both; color: #333333; float: none; font-size: 1em; padding: 0px 0px 16px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;">BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner examines what is known about the 21 August attack</div></div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said President Obama's decision to delay any strikes in Syria was a "failure in leadership" and could "embolden" the forces of President Assad.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The UK has ruled out taking part in any attack, after Prime Minister David Cameron failed to win the support of parliament last week.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">That leaves France as the only other major power that has said it could strike against Syria - though it says it will not act on its own before the vote in the US Congress</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said his country will defend itself against any Western "aggression".</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><br /></div>

John Kerry said that "US has evidence that sarin gas was used in SYRIA ATTACK...."

The US has evidence that the chemical nerve agent sarin was used in a deadly attack in Damascus last month, Secretary of State John Kerry sa...

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GOOD NEWS...!!! Nelson Mandela discharged from South African hospital....

<div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><img alt="Nelson Mandela in 2010" height="360" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69588000/jpg/_69588508_7070882a-a5d2-4568-a235-6bf297a54723.jpg" width="640" /></div><div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><br /></div><div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Nelson Mandela has left hospital and has gone to his Johannesburg home, where he is continuing to receive intensive care, the South African presidency says on its website.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The announcement came a day after officials denied reports that the 95-year-old had already been discharged.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The <a href="http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/pebble.asp?relid=16013" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-decoration: none;">statement</a> says Mr Mandela condition remains critical and at times unstable.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">South Africa's first democratically elected president has been in hospital since June with a lung infection.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is revered around the world for leading the fight against white minority rule and preaching reconciliation with the white community despite being imprisoned for 27 years.</div><span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">'Celebration'</span><br /><div id="story_continues_2" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">"His team of doctors are convinced that he will receive the same level of intensive care at his Houghton home that he received in Pretoria [hospital]," the presidency statement says.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">It says his home in the suburb of Houghton has been "reconfigured to allow him to receive intensive care there" and he will be treated by the same health care personnel who have been looking after him since 8 June.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">If necessary, he will be readmitted to hospital, the statement says.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">The BBC's Andrew Harding in South Africa says this is not the discharge of a man who has made a significant recovery but the transfer of a patient from an intensive care ward in a hospital to a specially built intensive care unit in his own home, presumably in line with his family's wishes.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">But he notes that some people will take some encouragement from the fact that his doctors have said he was fit enough to make the 55km-journey (34 miles) and says such a decision will not have been taken lightly.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">"It is a day of celebration for us, that he is finally back home with us," said his grandson Mandla Mandela.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">On Saturday, sources close to Mr Mandela told the BBC and other international media that he had already returned home.</div><span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"></span><br /><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">This was denied by South Africa's presidency, which handles all communications about the former leader's health.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><img alt="An ambulance transporting former South African president Nelson Mandela arrives at the home of the former statesman in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013. " src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69588000/jpg/_69588068_69587939.jpg" /></div><div id="story_continues_3" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">Mr Mandela's lung condition is said to result from the tuberculosis he contracted during the 27 years he spent in prison for taking up arms against white minority rule.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">He is been hospitalised four times in the past year and his latest stay lasted 84 days.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">He became president after 1994 elections - the first time black South Africans were allowed to vote - and stepped down five years later.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">His last public appearance was at the 2010 football World Cup, which South Africa hosted.</div><div style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;"><br /></div>

GOOD NEWS...!!! Nelson Mandela discharged from South African hospital....

Nelson Mandela has left hospital and has gone to his Johannesburg home, where he is continuing to receive intensive care, the South African ...

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