JOHANNESBURG, June 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Former South African presidentand anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela officially announced plans here on Tuesday to drastically scale down his public appearances, saying he needs to spend more time with his family and himself.

    "My diary and my public activities will, as from today, be severely and significantly reduced," said the white-haired Mandela,who turns 86 on July 18, during a farewell press conference at hischarity foundation in Johannesburg that was attended by some 100 leading businessmen and politicians.

    Mandela has been since his retirement five years ago often called upon to lend his prestige to events including leading the South African delegation that traveled to Zurich last month to winthe right to host the 2010 World Cup.

    But the Nobel laureate has been showing signs of old age, walking at times with a cane and suffering from poor hearing.

    The former president said he does not plan to completely disappear from public appearances, but said he will be more selective about which ones he will attend and would rather choose which ones rather than be invited.

    ``Don't call me, I'll call you,'' Mandela joked.

    "I have the added blessing of being in very good health, at least according to my doctors. I'm confident that nobody present here today will accuse me of selfishness if I asked to spend time,while I'm still in good heath, with my family, my friends and alsowith myself," said the much-respected statesman.

    Mandela said he missed the opportunity for reading, thinking and quiet reflection after his release from Robben Island and would now do these things and complete the second edition of his autobiography "Long Walk to Freedom."

    In the past week, Mandela also visited a primary school and a high school, which were established with funds raised by him.

    The total amount of money he has raised to build schools in South Africa reportedly exceeds 170 million rand (26 million US dollars).

    Mandela said the three major organizations bearing his name, the Nelson Mandela Fund, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the Nelson Mandela Rhodes Fund, would continue to work.

    Mandela has raised millions of rands for the three foundations,which have some South African billionaires as trustees and mainly focus on education of children and operation of educational institutions.

    Mandela, affectionately known by his clan name Madiba, became South African first black president on May 10, 1994, after his release in 1990 from 27 years in prison for anti-apartheid activities.

    He served as president in the new multi-racial South Africa forfive years before handing over the reigns to Thabo Mbeki, but he has since 1999 still been in high demand. Enditem