Messages of support for former president Nelson Mandela flooded social media websites on Sunday evening following the announcement that his condition was critical.<\/p>\n
News and comment on Mandela was trending on Twitter<\/a> under the hashtags #Mandela and #Madiba.<\/p>\n “#Mandela is in critical condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with him. Team –The New Age,” tweeted The New Age newspaper’s executive chairman Atul Gupta.<\/p>\n A tweet by @DaveMbootlebuck read: “#mandela is an inspiration to everyone, a prayer for him tonight”.<\/p>\n The presidency made the announcement in a statement on Sunday night.<\/p>\n “The condition of former president Nelson Mandela, who is still in hospital in Pretoria, has become critical,” it said after a visit by President Jacob Zuma<\/a> and African National Congress<\/a> deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa<\/a>.<\/p>\n “They were briefed by the medical team, who informed them that the former president’s condition had become critical over the past 24-hours,” said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zuma and Ramaphosa also met Mandela’s wife Graca Machel to discuss his condition.<\/p>\n “The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve, and are ensuring that Madiba is well looked after and is comfortable,” Zuma said in the statement.<\/p>\n Mandela was admitted to hospital with a recurring lung infection on June 8.<\/p>\n Later on, @AoifePrice tweeted: “Sad to hear that #Mandela is critically ill tonight. My thoughts and prayers are with him”.<\/p>\n Another tweet, by @KerryPhillips14, read: “Too scared to go to sleep tonight because I’m afraid that when I wake up, it’ll all be over #Madiba”.<\/p>\n Nelson Mandela’s condition is now critical\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Mandela obituary from Wits hits Google<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on Nelson Mandela<\/h3>\n