Pretoria ( CNN ) -- Handwritten messages pinned to a makeshift memorial board outside a Pretoria hospital describe the fear and resignation felt by many ordinary South Africans that Nelson Mandela may not be with them much longer . `` You are and will always be a true legend and grandfather to us all , '' reads one note tied around the neck of a little white bear . Another , placed with a bunch of proteas , the country 's national flower , says `` Tata Mandela you have touched our lives and blessed us in more ways than one . We love you . '' Many of the messages appear to be written by children , in colored glue and pen , including one which features the hand prints of children still far too young to understand the indelible mark the former president has left on their country . The touching and very personal tributes started appearing on the wall on June 8 , the day Mandela was admitted to hospital for a recurring lung infection . However , what was hoped to be a short stint has stretched into its 19th day , the longest period of hospitalization ever for a man known not for his physical strength but personal fortitude . Headlines in local newspapers leave little doubt about the challenges Mandela , or Madiba as he 's known here , faces after a life of struggle at the age of 94 . Against a predominantly black front page , the Daily Sun 's lead headline reads : `` The Final Struggle , '' with the sub headline `` Critical Hours for Madiba . '' On Sunday , President Jacob Zuma announced that Mandela 's condition had slipped from stable to critical , prompting a private meeting of his closest family members Tuesday . It 's not known what they discussed but the meeting added further worry as onlookers waited for an update from the presidential office on Mandela 's condition . Since his condition worsened on Sunday , media crews from around the world have made their way to the street outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria . Late Tuesday , in an ominous sign , large numbers of police officers descended on the area , setting up road blocks at either end of the Celliers street , where the hospital is located . Pedestrians are being allowed to move back and forth across the barriers , as are cars , but most media crews remain parked for fear of losing their space in what 's fast becoming a very crowded street . A number of satellite trucks have been moved into position , beaming live broadcasts around the world -- further evidence , if any is needed , of Mandela 's influence beyond the borders of his homeland . In between reports , journalists struggle to stay warm ; it 's winter in South Africa and while the sun warms the air throughout the day , at night temperatures fall below freezing . No one knows how long the wait will last . If the darkening mood is anything to go by , it may not be long until South Africa is forced to confront the reality that some hoped would never come .
Mood darkens in South Africa as Nelson Mandela 's condition remains critical . More messages are being pinned on a wall outside the hospital in Pretoria . Media has gathered since announcement Sunday that condition had worsened . Headlines in local newspapers suggest struggle may be coming to an end .