Mandela Discharged From Hospital

Former South African President Nelson Mandela as he celebrates his birthday in Qunu, South Africa, July 18, 2012.

South Africa says former president Nelson Mandela is out of the hospital, 18 days after he was admitted for medical treatment.

A brief statement from the South African presidency says Mandela was discharged Wednesday evening.

It says he will undergo home-based care at his residence in Houghton, a suburb of Johannesburg, until he fully recovers.

The 94-year-old Mandela was taken to a Pretoria hospital December 8. South Africa said the anti-apartheid leader was treated for a lung infection and had surgery to remove gallstones during his stay.

A statement on Tuesday from President Jacob Zuma said Mandela was in "good spirits" and "looking much better."

Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his opposition to apartheid.

He has grown frail and made few public appearances in recent years.