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SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma has cancelled a trip to Mozambique on Thursday after visiting former leader Nelson Mandela, 94, who remains critically ill in a Pretoria hospital.
According to BBC Zuma's spokesman Mac Maharaj said his condition had deteriorated "in the past 48 hours".
South Africa's first black president has been in hospital since 8 June with a recurring lung infection.
Doctors were doing everything to ensure his well-being, a statement said.
Emotional crowds continue to gather outside the hospital, adding messages of support for Mandela.
Correspondents say South Africans now seem resigned to the prospect of his death.
"We are all going to feel bad when he passes [away], but at the same time we will be celebrating his life. He has done so many great things for this country," said 25-year-old John Ndlovu, quoted by Reuters news agency.
Zuma was due to attend a regional summit in the Mozambican capital Maputo on Thursday, but decided to cancel his trip.
The statement from his office said he "reiterated his gratitude on behalf of government, to all South Africans who continue to support the Madiba family".
President Zuma's decision to cancel the visit to Mozambique where he was to attend a regional infrastructure investment conference will only reinforce the impression that Nelson Mandela's life is slipping away.
But later Zuma's office warned against speculation about Mandela's health, saying that announcements about his condition would come from the president himself or Maharaj.
Maharaj criticised some media outlets for broadcasting unverified information, as rumours spread on social media sites.
Mandela, known by his clan name Madiba, is revered for leading the fight against white minority rule in South Africa and then preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years.
Meanwhile US president Barack Obama's second visit to the African continent since he became president has begun with Senegal.
Obama, who arrived in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, on Wednesday night with his family, is due to meet the country's President Macky Sall later on Thursday.
He is hoping to boost economic ties with the African countries and promote good governance all the countries he is visiting have stable democracies.
The South African leg of his trip is expected to be overshadowed by the continuing critical condition of former President Nelson Mandela.
The White House has said it will defer to the wishes of Mr Mandela's family over whether Mr Mandela is well enough to receive a visit from him in hospital.
LVNews
