<p> Former South African president Nelson Mandela was in a "serious but stable" condition after being taken to hospital early on Saturday with a recurring lung infection, the government said in a statement.</p>.<p>The 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero and the country's first black president has been in hospital three times since December and has been battling this bout of the infection for several days, it said.</p>.<p>"This morning at about 1:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital. He remains in a serious but stable condition," the government said.</p>.<p>Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj told local television Mandela's condition was "serious this time".</p>.<p>"The situation is serious this time but doctors have assured us he is comfortable," he told television station eNCA.</p>.<p>The Nobel Peace Prize laureate stepped down as president in 1999 and has not been politically active for about a decade</p>
<p> Former South African president Nelson Mandela was in a "serious but stable" condition after being taken to hospital early on Saturday with a recurring lung infection, the government said in a statement.</p>.<p>The 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero and the country's first black president has been in hospital three times since December and has been battling this bout of the infection for several days, it said.</p>.<p>"This morning at about 1:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital. He remains in a serious but stable condition," the government said.</p>.<p>Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj told local television Mandela's condition was "serious this time".</p>.<p>"The situation is serious this time but doctors have assured us he is comfortable," he told television station eNCA.</p>.<p>The Nobel Peace Prize laureate stepped down as president in 1999 and has not been politically active for about a decade</p>