It said that Mr Mandela himself had taken the news calmly.

"In typical Madiba style, this international icon has had only one message for his people: don't panic."

"It is also instructive that Mandela has chosen to be treated in SA by local doctors.

"This is unusual on a continent where poorly performing leaders, who wreck their economies and destroy their health-care systems, often choose to get their treatment in Europe and other developed regions of the world.

"Even in illness, Madiba has demonstrated his greatness and the fact that SA works. Get well soon!" it concluded.

Optimism

The Star also commended the former president for his refusal to be bowed by his illness.

"Not even prostate cancer is enough to dent Nelson Mandela's incorrigible optimism," the paper said.

"Even after receiving treatment on Tuesday, his first thought was for his many supporters. Don't panic about my health, was his message."

Indomitable spirit

The Star said that staff at the Nelson Mandela Foundation were having difficulty in following his example.

"Those who work at the foundation described Mandela as an upbeat person, so 'we can't break down in front of him. His spirit is unbreakable. We have to try and be like him,' said a clearly upset woman."

And a Kenyan paper, The Nation, applauded the fact that Mr Mandela had made no attempt to keep his condition a secret, saying that such openness testified to the strength of South Africa's democracy.

"Disclosure by leaders... of their state of health is an integral part of transparent and responsible leadership, and a critical aspect of democracy," the paper said.

It noted that there had been a tendency in the past for African leaders to deny all suggestions of physical frailty, and that "Madiba's recent disclosure, saddening though it is, is a welcome development."

"It is a good example of the personal courage and strength of character which our leaders... should exhibit in dealing with issues surrounding their health."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.