It's a bittersweet day in South Africa today: Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid icon who many consider the country's father, is celebrating his 95th birthday. But he is doing so from a hospital bed in Pretoria.
There is good news, however: , Mandela's daughter Zindzi says he's made "remarkable progress" and could be released from the hospital soon. The South African presidency released a statement Thursday saying Mandela was "steadily improving."
that across South Africa, Mandela was honored with songs, prayers and acts of service.
The AP has video of the scene:
NPR's Jason Beaubien hit the streets and .
The New York Times did something similar. They asked South Africans what Mandela means to them:
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