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Former President Nelson Mandela's wife Graca Machel on Monday thanked everyone who had sent messages of support for the ailing icon.
"So much love and generosity from South Africans, Africans across the continent, and thousands more from across the world, have come our way to lighten the burden of anxiety, bringing us love, comfort and hope," Machel said in a statement.
Machel said the family's gratitude was difficult to express.
Mandela, 94, was spending his tenth day in hospital on Monday.
He was admitted in the early hours of June 8 with a recurring lung infection. The presidency said he was in a "serious but
stable" condition.
President Jacob Zuma told a Youth Day celebration on Sunday in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, Mandela's health had shown improvement despite him still being in a serious condition.