- South Africa says he is undergoing treatment for an abdominal ailment
- The 93-year-old will likely be discharged by Monday, a relative says
- The former president last appeared in public in 2010
Johannesburg (CNN) -- Nelson Mandela looked "healthy and happy" Sunday, a day after officials said the ailing anti-apartheid icon underwent treatment for an abdominal ailment at a South African hospital.
Mandela underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy, defense minister Lindiwe Sisulu said Sunday without elaborating. The procedure involves inserting a camera into the body to allow doctors a look in a patient's abdomen or pelvis.
A family member had said Saturday that Mandela had hernia surgery, but a government spokesman described it as a "planned procedure" without providing details.
The 93-year-old will likely be discharged by Monday, a Mandela relative told CNN. Officials and family declined to name the hospital where he was reuperating.
South African President Jacob Zuma said Mandela is conscious and recovering.
Mandela undergoes hernia surgery "The doctors are satisfied with his condition, which they say is consistent with his age," Zuma said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
Considered the founding father of South Africa's democracy, Mandela became an international figure when he was imprisoned for 27 years for fighting racial segregation.
He was freed in 1990, and three years later, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1994, Mandela was elected president and served one term as he had promised.
Mandela last appeared in public in the closing ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
He was hospitalized last year for treatment of an acute respiratory infection, and continued to receive treatment at home after doctors discharged him.
Despite his rare appearances, Mandela retains his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy.
Mandela relocated to his childhood town of Qunu last year, but moved back to his Johannesburg home earlier this year.
At the time, Zuma said the move was because the home in his boyhood town was undergoing maintenance.
CNN's Kim Norgaard contributed to this report.
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