The Department of Defence has noted and completely distances itself from the media reports about a book titled Mandela’s Last Years written by the former surgeon-general, Lieutenant-General Dr Vejay Ramlakan, detailing the late former president Nelson Mandela’s last days before his death in 2013.
The department wishes to explicitly state that all views expressed in the book are those of the author and do not in any way or manner represent the department and the South African military health service.
The SANDF’s policy on “patient doctor confidentiality” is in force and as such, the views and patient doctor engagements expressed in the book have not been sanctioned by the senior cadre of the department and the SANDF respectively.