( CNN ) -- Former South African President Nelson Mandela has completed his recovery from a lung infection and gallstone surgery and is gradually getting back to his normal routine , a spokesman said Sunday . Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Mandela , who has not appeared in public since 2010 , continues to receive treatment at his home in Houghton , a suburb of Johannesburg . Mandela was hospitalized for a lung infection in early December and a week later underwent surgery for removal of gallstones . He was discharged from the hospital after a two-week stay . Keep Nelson Mandela in thoughts and prayers , Zuma says . During the time of apartheid in South Africa , Mandela was convicted of sabotage and was imprisoned for 27 years until 1990 . He and former President F.W . de Klerk , who dismantled apartheid , shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 . A year later , Mandela became the nation 's first black president . In November , South Africa issued banknotes bearing Mandela 's picture . Despite his rare public appearances in recent years , Mandela retains his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy in the nation . Mandela 's impact has extended far beyond the borders of his own country . After he left office in 1999 , he was involved in mediating conflicts from Africa to the Mideast . Mandela , 94 , also was treated for an acute respiratory infection in January 2011 . The next month he had surgery for an abdominal hernia . Nelson Mandela timeline .
He , too , was in the hospital for two months in 2010 . Spokesman says Mandela is gradually returning to his normal life . Mandela has n't appeared in public since 2010 .