Johannesburg, Feb 11 (IANS): Anti-apartheid hero and former South African president Nelson Mandela was looking comfortable when President Jacob Zuma visited him, the presidency said.

Zuma visited Mandela Sunday at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, and "found him comfortable and relaxed watching television", the presidency said in a statement.

"He had the brightest smile, and it was exciting to discuss with him the upcoming State of the Nation Address and the AFCON (African Cup of Nations) tournament," Zuma said in the statement.

Zuma visited Mandela while on his way to the final match of AFCON, reported Xinhua.

Zuma conveyed the good wishes to Madiba from all over the world, the presidency said.

Mandela, who was hospitalised for almost three weeks late last year, returned to his Johannesburg home Dec 26 after undergoing a surgical operation to remove gallstones and treatment of a recurring lung infection.

Mandela, 94, was flown to a hospital in Pretoria from his native village of Qunu in Eastern Cape province Dec 8, starting his longest stay in hospital since 2001 when he underwent seven weeks of radiotherapy after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Mandela served as South African president from 1994 to 1999, the first ever to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before being elected president, he served 27 years in prison, spending many of those years on Robben Island off Cape Town.

Towards the end of his prison term, he developed tuberculosis, which is blamed for the recurrence of his latest lung infection.