Nelson Mandela discharged from hospital in South Africa

Surgeon General Vejaynand Ramlakan said Mr Mandela, 92, was suffering from ailments that were common in people his age but was in good spirits.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe - using Mr Mandela's clan name - said: "Madiba is well."

South Africa's liberation hero flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Wednesday for a check-up.

Friends and family visited him amid tight security at Milpark hospital on Thursday.

On Friday Mr Ramlakan said Mr Mandela had suffered a respiratory infection, but was responding well to treatment and would be receiving home-based care.

"To us he is stable, but will be subject to intense monitoring," he told reporters.

"Medically, at present, there is no need to panic," he added.

After Mr Mandela's discharge, an ambulance surrounded by a police convoy drove him towards his home in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton; Kazinform cites BBC News.

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