Johannesburg ( CNN ) -- Former South African President Nelson Mandela has been hospitalized again , but officials say it 's only for a routine checkup . `` Doctors are conducting tests and have thus far indicated that there is no reason for any alarm , '' according to a statement from the presidential office Saturday . In January , Mandela completed his recovery from a lung infection and gallstone surgery and gradually returned to his normal routine , officials said at the time . Mandela , 94 , who has not appeared in public since 2010 , had continued receiving 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 to remove gallstones . He was discharged from the hospital after a two-week stay . 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 also was treated for an acute respiratory infection in January 2011 . The next month he had surgery for an abdominal hernia .
No reason for concern , officials say . Mandela has not appeared in public since 2010 . He was recently treated for a viral infection and died .