Messages of love for the 'father of democracy': Touching tributes outside hospital where ailing Nelson Mandela remains in 'critical condition'

South African icon's condition has become 'critical' in the last 48 hours
He is being treated for a lung infection at the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital
Close family members today held an emergency meeting at his Qunu home
Hundreds of messages and flowers have been left outside the hospital walls

Hundreds of messages of love and support have been left outside the hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is said to be in a 'critical condition'.
It comes as close relatives of the 94-year-old held an emergency meeting at the former anti-apartheid leader's home in Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, this morning.
It is not known what the family are meeting to discuss but several members, including Mandela's ex-wife Winnie and daughter Makaziwe, visited the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria last night.
As fears for Mandela's health worsen, well-wishers have flocked to the hospital to leave letters, cards and flowers along the outside of the building.
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Tributes: A police officer places flowers for former South African President Nelson Mandela outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria, where the former anti-apartheid leader is being treated for a lung infection

We love you: One of the dozens of hand-made messages of support for former South African President Nelson Mandela posted to the wall outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital

Wall of love: A child points to one of the messages left for Nelson Mandela at the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria today

Among the cards were handwritten notes from schoolchildren thanking the inspirational leader who helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa.

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The security wall has the hospital has now been transformed in to a homage to Mandela - who spent 27 years in prison because of his beliefs.
One of the messages read: 'We love you Mandela. God bless you'.
Another read: 'We love you Tata Mandela. I am still young, I still need to see you. Get better. (From) Tino.'
Other well-wishers have travelled to Nelson Mandela's home in a Johannesburg suburb to pray for the 94-year-old after the president who is suffering from a reoccurring lung infection.

Meeting: Pedestrians and a vehicle are seen at the entrance to the homestead of former president Nelson Mandela in Qunu, South Africa, as close relatives were locked in a meeting at the property in Eastern Cape province

Discussion: Family elders of the Mandela family arrive the former president's home in Qunu today as he remained in critical condition in hospital

South African authorities have announced that former South African president Nelson Mandela is in a 'critical condition'. He has been in hospital for two weeks for a recurring lung infection

South African authorities have announced that former president Nelson Mandela is in a 'critical condition'. He has been in hospital for two weeks for a recurring lung infection

A well-wisher has drawn around their hand on this message to imitate Nelson Mandela's famous hand print

'I will wait for Madiba to come back home. I will make sure, I'm going to pray later, and then Mandela, I hope you come. I love you Mandela,' well-wisher Thembi Magagula said outside Mandela's home in Houghton today.
It comes after the country's President Jacob Zuma yesterday urged the country to send their wishes to the man he called the 'father of democracy'.
President Zuma visited Mandela in hospital on Sunday night after his condition detterioated.
In a press conference yesterday, he confirmed that doctors are doing everything possible to help the former president feel comfortable, but refused to give details of Mandela's condition, saying: 'I'm not a doctor'.
Zuma also said President Barack Obama would go ahead with a visit to South Africa, despite concerns about Mandela's health.

Messages of love. Winnie at hospital as hundreds lay flowers for...

Get well soon: This well-wisher left a belated Father's Day message for Mandela - considered South Africa's 'father of democracy'

Icon: The messages demonstrate South African's love for their former leader who helped end apartheid

Tata Madiba: Many of the messages were addressed to Madiba - Nelson Mandela's clan name

'President Obama is visiting South Africa,' Zuma said. 'I don't think you stop a visit because somebody's sick.'
Obama, who arrives in Africa this week, is due to visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania.
White House spokesman Jay Carney wouldn't speculate about how Mandela's health would impact Obama's upcoming visit to South Africa, saying only that the U.S. president 'continues to look forward to his trip.'
'The president obviously has long seen Nelson Mandela as one of his personal heroes, and I think he's not alone in that in this country and around the world,' Carney said.

'We need you': Just a few of the messages and tributes for former South African Nelson Mandela left on the security wall of the hospital where he is being treated

Support: The flurry of support comes after President Jacob Zuma revealed Mandela's condition had worsened to critical and urged South Africans to pray for him

'Stay strong': Another message urges Nelson Mandela to keep going

'Stay strong': One message urges Nelson Mandela to keep going, left, while another message uses a heart symbol to say: 'We love you Madiba', pictured right

Zuma, who in the past has given an overly sunny view of Mandela's health, briefly spoke of his visit on Sunday night to Mandela in the hospital in the capital.
'It was late, he was already asleep,' Zuma said. 'And we then had a bit of a discussion with the doctors as well as his wife, Graca Machel, and we left.'
The president said South Africans should accept that Mandela is old, and he urged people to pray for their former leader.
'Madiba is critical in the hospital, and this is the father of democracy. This is the man who fought and sacrificed his life to stay in prison, the longest-serving prisoner in South Africa,' Zuma said, using Mandela's clan name.

Heartfelt: One schoolboy left his photograph next to handwritten message for the former South African President

Display: Art work by pre-school children wishing former South African President Nelson Mandela well pictured on display at the entrance of the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria

Respect: A line of 37 police officers wait to place flowers for former South African president Nelson Mandela outside the Mediclinic heart hospital in Pretoria today

Mandela, who became South Africa's first black president after the end of apartheid in 1994, was hospitalized for what the government said was a recurring lung infection. This is his fourth hospitalization since December.
Mandela was jailed for 27 years under white racist rule and was released 23 years ago, in 1990. He then played a leading role in steering the divided country from the apartheid era to an all-race democracy.
As a result of his sacrifice and peacemaking efforts, he is seen by many around the world as a symbol of reconciliation.

Vigil: Yongama, nine, observes bunches of flowers after leaving a get well soon card at the entrance to the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital for South African President Nelson Mandela last night

Gathering: Well-wishers wait for news on Nelson Mandela's health outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital last night after hearing his condition was critical