Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital after treatment for pneumonia, South Africa's government has said. It said there had been "a sustained and gradual improvement in his condition," BBC News reported.

The 94-year-old was admitted on 27 March for a recurring lung infection and had fluid drained at the undisclosed hospital.

Mandela served as South Africa's first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is regarded by many as the father of the nation.