Members of Nelson Mandela’s family and tribal elders gathered today at the former president’s rural hometown in eastern South Africa, as concern grew for the 94-year-old leader who spent a third day in critical condition in a hospita.

South Africa’s president has urged his compatriots to show their appreciation for Nelson Mandela, who is in critical condition in a hospital, by marking his 95th birthday next month with acts of goodness that honour the legacy of the anti-apartheid leader.