Former South African president Nelson Mandela is \'making a slow but steady improvement\' although he in critical condition, the government said Sunday, according to dpa. The 95-year-old anti-apartheid leader has been in a Pretoria hospital since June when he was admitted for a lung infection. His youngest daughter, Zindzi Mandela, told the public broadcaster SABC Friday that her father is now able to sit up for minutes at a time and was becoming more responsive.