South Africa's first post-apartheid president Nelson Mandela has formally bowed out of public life.
The Nobel peace prize winner joked about keeping a punishing schedule despite having retired from active politics in 1999 when he stepped down as head of state.
"When I told one of my advisers a few months ago that I wanted to retire he growled at me: 'You are retired.' If that is really the case then I should say I now announce that I am retiring from retirement," Mr Mandela (86) told a news conference today.
"I do not intend to hide away from the public, but henceforth I want to be in the position of calling you to ask whether I would be welcome, rather than being called upon to do things and participate in events," Mandela said.
Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for fighting apartheid, said he was in "very good health" despite appearing increasingly frail and walking with the help of a cane or an aide.
Mandela has hardly strayed out of the public limelight, raising millions of dollars for his Mandela Foundation to build clinics and schools in South Africa's rural heartland and to battle HIV/AIDS, or mediating in Burundi's civil war.
In November Mandela was the centre of attraction at an international pop concert he organised in Cape Town to raise funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Last month Mandela flew to the Caribbean to campaign for South Africa's bid to host the 2010 soccer World Cup. He returned home for just a brief pause to bury his first wife, Evelyn, before heading to Zurich where many believe his imposing presence helped South Africa clinch the hosting rights.