FILE - This two-picture combination of file photos shows Nelson Mandela on Aug. 8, 2012, left, and President Barack Obama on May 31, 2013. It was as a college student that President Barack Obama began to find his political voice. Inspired by Nelson Mandela's struggle against South Africa's apartheid government, the young Obama joined campus protests against the white racist rule that kept Mandela locked away in prison for nearly three decades. Now a historic, barrier-breaking figure himself, Obama will arrive in South Africa Friday to find a country drastically transformed by Mandela's influence, and a nation grappling with the beloved 94-year-old's mortality. JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Inspired by Nelson Mandela's struggles in South Africa, a young Barack Obama joined campus protests in the U.S. against the racist rule that kept Mandela locked away in prison for nearly three decades. Now a historic, barrier-breaking figure himself, President Obama arrives in South Africa Friday to find a country drastically transformed by Mandela's influence - and grappling with the beloved 94-year-old's mortality. It was unclear whether Mandela's deteriorating health would prevent Obama from making a hospital room visit. The former South African leader is said to be in critical condition. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he made his way to Johannesburg, Obama said he would gauge the situation when he arrived.