It’s a pity the Aussie phone pranksters can’t be deployed to find out what’s up with Nelson Mandela

Alf is bound to say he is disappointed at the dearth of firm details regarding the health of former South African president Nelson Mandela.

Yes, we know Mandela is undergoing further tests in hospital in Pretoria, where he was admitted on Saturday.

And we know (from a Radio NZ report here) that this is the second time the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader has been hospitalised in the past year.

But what’s going on, exactly?

We don’t really know.