Former South African president Nelson Mandela was in good spirits while recovering from lung infection at a Pretorial hospital, the South African Presidency said yesterday.

The 94-year-old was admitted to hospital on Wednesday at midnight due to recurrence of lung infection. It said Mandela had developed a pleural effusion — excess fluid in the lungs which had been drained to enable him to breathe more easily. There are no details yet on how long he will remain in hospital.