Mandela in hospital after surgery

Nelson Mandela has successful surgery says, president's officeMandela has not appeared in public since 2010 World CupNobel Peace Prize laureate spent 27 years in prison

Johannesburg (CNN) -- Nelson Mandela on Saturday morning underwent endoscopic surgery to have gall stones removed, President Jacob Zuma's office said in a statement.

The procedure was successful and Mandela, who has been hospitalized since last weekend due to a recurring lung infection, is recovering, the statement said.

Mandela has not appeared in public since the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa. The former president gets round-the-clock care since abdominal surgery this year and an acute respiratory infection in 2011.

var currExpandable="expand14";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='world/2012/12/12/rc-mandela-in-hospital.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121212060657-rc-mandela-in-hospital-00002830-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand14Store=mObj;The Nobel Peace Prize laureate spent 27 years in prison for fighting against oppression of blacks in South Africa. He became the nation's first black president in 1994, four years after he was freed from prison.

Despite his rare appearances, Mandela retains his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy in the nation.

Read more: Nelson Mandela has lung infection

Just last month, South Africa launched a new batch of banknotes with a picture of a smiling Mandela on the front.

The new 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 rand banknotes all feature pictures of the global icon.

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