Mandela “really exhausted”

Burundi peace mediator, Nelson Mandela, will not meet CNND-FDD leader Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye and other officials of the group in Pretoria, South Africa on Thursday, his spokeswoman Zelda la Grange said on Wednesday. She said Mandela was “too weak” after receiving therapy for prostate cancer. She described him as “really exhausted” after receiving the first of his seven week radiotherapy course, adding that they expected him to be out of action for a few days. “Mandela’s fine - it’s just an adjustment for his body,” she said. “So we thought for the first few days we thought it better that he rests,” Reuters quoted La Grange as saying.

She said that South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma who was scheduled to join Mandela for the meeting, would continue with the discussions. Burundi President Pierre Buyoya and Gabonese President Omar Bongo were also expected to attend the meeting. La Grange said that DRC President Joseph Kabila would not attend the talks as planned.