Nelson Mandela's granddaughters: 'We love our grandfather dearly'

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Nelson Mandela granddaughters Zaziwe Dlamini Manaway and Swati Dlamini remain positive about their grandfather’s recovery as he spends his fifth day straight in a South African hospital.

The 94-year-old international icon is currently being treated for a recurring lung infection.

“We want to thank everyone for all their prayers, love and support during this time,” Zaziwe Dlamini Manaway and Swati Dlamini said in a statement to theGrio. “We love our grandfather dearly, and we want to thank everyone for giving our family privacy at this time.”

Earlier today Mandela’s grandson, Mandla, gave a statement to NBC News outside of the Mandela family home in Houghton, Pretoria.

“We want to say ‘thank you’ and we appreciate all the support you have shown to our grandfather and your father – because my grandfather is the father of the nation, because he is embraced by the whole global community – so we appreciate the support we have received.”

In February, during an interview with theGrio, while promoting their COZI TV reality show Being Mandela,  Nelson and Winnie Mandela’s granddaughters gave and update on their grandfather’s health.

“His health is very good. He’s surrounded by family,” Nelson and Winnie Mandela’s granddaughter Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway told theGrio in February. “We go to the house all the time. He’s really happiest the most when he spends time with his great grandchildren. So before we came on the trip we literally went to go see him to say bye. So he’s in really really good spirits. We’re very happy.”