Respect: Candles are lit under a portrait of Nelson Mandela before his funeral. One for every year of his life
Dignitaries: Prince Charles, right, arrives for the state funeral on Sunday
Representing Britain: The Queen sent the Prince of Wales, pictured here speaking to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a politician and former wife of Jacob Zuma
Mourners: US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, centre, her husband Stedman Graham, left, and English businessman Richard Branson, right, watching the state funeral service
Praise: President Jacob Zuma said that Mandela was 'a fountain of wisdom, a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope'
Historic figure: Thousands of people are paying tribute to South Africa 's first black president
He read a Mandela quote: ‘I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I fought it all through my life. I fight it now and will fight it to the end of my life.’
He said he taught forgiveness and reconciliation.
‘We learned from you that to build a new society, a new SA from the ashes of apartheid and colonialism we had to rise above anger and the human desire for retribution.’
Zuma also spoke of Mandela's dedication to gender equality which led to more women in public life.
He said: ‘We dare not reverse your achievements in this regard.’
‘As you take your final steps, South Africa will continue to rise.’
He said the poor and working class have benefitted from the fruits of democracy.
‘We commit to work more intensely to deal a decisive blow against poverty, inequality.’
Promised improved utilities, better jobs and working conditions as well as efficient and accountable public service.
‘We will be able to complete this country’s transformation into a global force for social and economic leadership that you believed we were capable of being.’
‘Tata as your triumphant journey comes to an end we sincerely thank you.’
‘We sincerely thank you, thank your family for sharing you with us and the world.’
Zumas added that his children must be truly proud today to be ‘brought to this planet by a man so great and humble’.
His casket, transported to the tent on a gun carriage and draped in the national flag, rested on a carpet of cow skins below a lectern where speakers delivered eulogies.
'A great tree has fallen, he is now going home to rest with his forefathers,' said Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima, a representative of Mandela's family.
Nandi Mandela said her grandfather went barefoot to school in Qunu when he was boy and eventually became president and a figure of global import.
'It is to each of us to achieve anything you want in life,' she said, recalling kind gestures by Mandela 'that made all those around him also want to do good.'
In the Xhosa language, she referred to her grandfather by his clan name: 'Go well, Madiba. go well to the land of our ancestors, you have run your race.'
Ahmed Kathrada, an anti-apartheid activist who was jailed on Robben Island with Mandela, remembered his old friend's 'abundant reserves' of love, patience and tolerance. He said it was painful when he saw Mandela for the last time, months ago in his hospital bed.
'He tightly held my hand, it was profoundly heartbreaking,' Kathrada said, his voice breaking at times. 'How I wish I never had to confront what I saw. I first met him 67 years ago and I recall the tall, healthy strong man, the boxer, the prisoner who easily wielded the pick and shovel when we couldn't do so.'
Final journey: The coffin carrying former South African President Nelson Mandela is escorted into his state funeral service in Qunu this morning
Eulogy: Mandela's granddaughter Nand takes to the podium to pay her tributes to the leader
Honor: A gun salute is fired as the funeral procession nears the Mandela family compound
Reading an obituary, Mr Mandela's grandson Ndaba Mandela said the former leader became 'one of the world's greatest icons'.
'It is through Mandela that the world cast its eyes on South Africa and took notice of the severe and organised repression of black South Africans,' he said.
'It is through Mandela that the world cast its eyes on South Africa and took notice of the severe and organised repression of black South Africans,' he said.
'Yet it was also through Mandela that the world would learn the spirit of endurance, the triumph of forgiveness and the beauty of reconciliation.'
Some mourners wiped away tears as Kathrada spoke, his voice trembling with emotion.
Mandela's widow, Grace Machel, and his second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, were dressed in black and sat on either side of South African President Jacob Zuma.
Guests included veterans of the military wing of the African National Congress, the liberation movement that became the dominant political force after the end of apartheid, as well as U.S. Ambassador Patrick Gaspard and other foreign envoys.
More than an hour into the service, people were still filling empty seats in parts of the marquee. Soldiers moved in to occupy some chairs.
The funeral includes traditions of Mandela's Thembu clan, as well as a 21-gun salute, brass band and fly over by jets. Elders in traditional funeral attire out of respect for Mandela and his family sang old struggle songs as they lined the road to greet the funeral cortege.
Procession: Military officers accompany the coffin into the funeral as others stand to attention
Wives: Grace Machel, left, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, right, have led South Africa in mourning for the man they were both married to
Speech: Joyce Banda, the president of Malawi, was one of many African leaders to pay tribute to Mandela at the service
Stage: The speakers delivered their addresses in front of 95 candles, representing every year of Mandela's life
Moved: Mandela's daughter Makaziwe, centre, sits in front of her father's coffin during the ceremony
Tears: The former president's daughter Zindzi comforts another mourner
An ox was to be slaughtered, the deceased was wrapped in a leopard skin and a family elder continued to talk to the body's spirit throughout the service. The occasion also included elements more often seen in a Christian burial and at a state funeral, including prayers and the national anthem.
The leopard skin signifies Mandela's status as a high-ranking official. Because he was also a former statesman, the casket was covered in the flag.
Following a tradition called Thetha, Xhosa culture requires a family elder to stay with Mandela's body and explain to his spirit what is happening.
'When the body lies there, the spirit is still alive,' the Rev Wesley Mabuza, chairman of South Africa's Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the right of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, said.
Mandela's widow Graca Machel arrived ahead of the casket to honor the tradition of being home to receive his body.
As the coffin arrived in the white tent for the state funeral, all guests except the family stood, and the choir sung Lizalis' idinga Iakho.
It was placed in the centre of the domed tent, on top of a cattle skin. His widow, Machel, and first wife, Winnie Mandela, then walked into the tent hand in hand. His children from both marriages were sat in the front row, with president Jacob Zuma between them.
Family said they had been reuniting by Machel and Winnie's show of friendship.
A central feature in the tent was a large picture of Mandela, placed behind 95 lit candles, one for each year of his long and full life.
But he left us to 'join the A-team of the ANC,' Kathrada said, as he named those who alongside Mandela had struggled for freedom.
Tradition: Mandela's casket, covered in the nation's flag, was placed on a cattle skin as the service combined elements of traditional and state funerals
Display: The coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela is seen draped in a South African national flag during his funeral in his ancestral village of Qunu
State funeral: Mandela's coffin is carried into the white tent for the service
Support: African National Congress supporters chant before the start of the funeral
Dignitaries: Anti-apartheid activist and friend Ahmed Kathrada, right, with former South Africa president Thabo Mbeki
United in grief: Mandela's widow Graca Machel, above, and his former wife Winnie, below, arrived holding hands and sat together for the service
Traditional: Mandla Mandela right, grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela, during his grandfather's funeral
As the state funeral got underway, the national anthem, God Bless Africa, was performed. The anthem is sung in five languages - three African as well as Afrikaans and English.
Deputy leader of the ANC Cyril Ramaphosa spoke at the funeral, explaining that in accordance with cultural traditions, they planned to lay Mandela to rest at noon 'When the sun is at hits highest and shadows are at its shortest'.
He told the mourners he agreed with president Jacob Zuma, who called Mandela South Africa's greatest son: 'Indeed today, the person who lies here today is South Africa's greatest son.'
Ramaphosa also welcomed royalty and presidents from Africa and around the world, including Prince Charles, and the Prince of Monaco.
When Chief Ngangamhlaba Matanzima, a cousin and spokesman for the Mandela family addressed the service he criticised those who had booed President Zuma during the memorial at the stadium. He added that the fake sign language interpreter had been an embarrassment to the nation.
Wearing a leopard skin to show his status as a chief, Matanzima asked the medical team who cared for Mandela to stand while they were applauded.
The next speaker was Ahmed Kathrada, a friend and anti-apartheid activist who was imprisoned alongside Mandela on Robben Island for more than 20 years.
He spoke fondly of his last meeting with Mandela, and how it brought back memories of when they first met 67 years ago, when he was a 'tall, healthy, strong man. The boxer, the prisoner who easily wielded the pick and shovel ... and vigorously exercised every morning.'
NELSON MANDELA'S FINAL JOURNEY: THE STATE FUNERAL PROGRAMME FOR THE LATE FORMER PRESIDENT
AT HOME
Family Valedictory Service - Rev V Nyobole
Opening Devotions
Viewing of the body; Homily; Draping of the casket; Placing of the casket on the gun carriage and forming up of procession; Procession departs for the marquee
MARQUEE SERVICE
Funeral Service
National Anthem; Opening devotions: Bishop D Dabula
Madiba Family Representative - Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima
Close friend - Mr Ahmed Kathrada
Reading of the Obituary
Tribute by the children and grandchildren: Ms Nandi Mandela
Tribute by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (AU Chairperson)
Tribute by President Joyce Banda (SADC Chairperson)
Tribute by President Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania)
Oration by President Jacob Zuma
Sermon and Benediction - Bishop Z Siwa; Military Ceremony - Chaplain-General of the SANDF; Movement of Designated Mourners to the Gravesite; Military Procession
AT THE GRAVESITE
President and family are seated at the gravesite
Removal of the Orders, Decorations, Medals and Miniature RSA Flag from the coffin by the SANDF to be handed over to the Chief of the SANDF who hands it over to the President for presentation to the next-of-kin.
Undraping of the casket
Pall-bearers salute and withdraw
Military pall-bearers take up position
Playing of the National Anthem, 21 Round Interment Salute and the Salute Flight
The Last Post is sounded
Sounding of Reveille
Military pall-bearers salute and withdraw
Committal Service by Bishop D Dabula
Vote of thanks: Major-General (retired) Bantu Holomisa
Benediction - Bishop D Dabula
Final goodbye: The flag-draped casket of South Africa's first black president arrives in Mandela's village
Coming home: A parade of servicemen lead the casket to the funeral
Home at last: Military officers and Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, rear, accompany the casket of the former South African President as it arrives in Qunu
Journey's end: The hearse carrying the coffin of former South African president Nelson Mandela passes by the tent dome set up in Qunu for his funeral
Tradition: Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, right, watches as local chiefs escort the lion skin draped casket of former South African President as it arrives at the Mandela residence in Qunu
Winnie Mandela (left), ex-wife of former South African President, and Graca Macel, widow of Mandela, wipe away tears as his flag-draped coffin arrives at the Mthata airport
Prayer: A traditional Shembe priest offers prayers as he looks towards the dome where Mandela's funeral was held
Spectator: A man watches the funeral on a big screen erected near the site of the ceremony
Watching: Locals who were kept away from the ceremony itself watched a big screen overlooking the venue
Assembled: Residents of Qunu sit and watch the proceedings unfold
Shelter: Women watching the funeral in Qunu wearing cloths on their heads to keep off the sun
In an operation led by the military, the journey began at dawn at Pretoria’s air force base Waterkloof, where 1,000 members of the ANC gave him an exuberant send-off, with singing and dancing beneath a hangar decked out in the party colours of green, black and gold.
Accompanied by family members, tribal elders and senior government figures, the coffin was then flown 550 miles to Mthatha airport, about 20 miles from Qunu.
Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, and his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela travelled separately from the coffin, in accordance with tribal tradition, and were seen comforting each other as it arrived.
From the airport, a hearse carried Mandela through the town, where crowds lined the route ten deep, then along Nelson Mandela Road and into the open countryside of green hills and red-flowering Cape Aloe.
There were helicopters, armoured personnel vehicles, expensive cars – which all seemed to have blue lights, whether they contained police officers or not – and an endless stream of motorcycle outriders, some in white uniforms.
Women hold ANC flags and banners as the long convoy bringing Mandela's body home finally arrives in Qunu. As police and military helicopters buzzed overheard, mourners broke into the South African national anthem as the cortège appeared
A last look at the father of the nation: Locals take photos as Mandela's hearse nears Qunu, a small hamlet in South Africa's Eastern Cape province where he grew up
Parade: Members of the South Africa navy look on at the dome which was set up to host the funeral
A military guard of honour stands to attention at the Mandela family's homestead in Qunu. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95
Just before 4pm the hearse swept down a gentle slope overlooking a restful scene: the hills and valleys where Mandela roamed as a boy, gathering wild honey, stick-fighting with friends and herding cattle.
‘Madiba is coming home,’ is how 13-year-old Siyathemba Nkunzi, watching with his mother, put it.
The crowd linked hands at the sides of the freshly tarmacked road and mouthed goodbyes as the hearse passed by. Some whistled with excitement. But no one cheered, no one screamed.
Farther up the highway a group of children busied themselves slaughtering a sheep. Qunu was celebrating the return of its revered son.
The military here relinquished control of proceedings and the elders took over. Inside Mandela’s peach-coloured farmhouse, a centuries-old ceremony was performed. The most senior elder ‘spoke to the body’ and, to ensure the spirit of the anti-apartheid hero would enter the next world untroubled, apologised for any past disagreements.
Incense was burned and the body was covered in the skin of a cow slaughtered that day. ‘A normal person from his tribe would be covered in a black and white blanket, but the cow skin is reserved for a man of great stature,’ said a villager.
A small branch from an olive tree was kept near the body. It was brought by air from Qunu soon after Mandela died on December 5 at his home in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Houghton. It was used by an elder to address his spirit and persuade him to return to Qunu.
Hero: A woman raises her fist in salute as she watches the hearse carrying her country's first black president drive by on the way to his final resting place
Locals cheers as Mandela arrives: Iit was escorted by an enormous convoy of police, military and other vehicles, many flashing emergency lights, arriving at about 4pm local time after going past cheering crowds who had lined the route to pay their respects
Loved by the people: The motorcade transporting Mandela's body passes through crowds of mourners gathered in the town of Mthatha on its way to Qunu
Africa: Young women dance by the roadside in the small village of Queque, near Qunu, as they wait to watch the funeral procession to sweep by
Mandela’s house in the village is modest and contains souvenirs of his life since he was freed. Dominating one wall is an outsized portrait of himself and Graca.
On a bookshelf sits Thomas Macaulay’s History Of England, given to him by Prince Charles, who will be among the 4,500 guests attending today’s funeral, along with Bill and Hillary Clinton, civil rights leader the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey.
While Qunu thoroughly approves of the Prince of Wales, politicians – with the exception of Mandela – are not particularly popular among the 500 inhabitants.
It is because of the presence of so many government ministers, diplomats and overseas leaders that many local people have been excluded from attending the funeral.
‘In our culture it is disrespectful for us not to go, but there is nothing we can do about it, and that is very upsetting,’ said Simesihile Sohaye.
It wasn’t just the locals who were left out. Unfathomably, retired archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mandela’s long-time friend and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has not been invited. Some political observers speculated that his criticism of the governing ANC was at the root of the snub.
‘Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata [Mandela] to gatecrash what was billed as a private funeral,’ said Tutu.
‘Had I or my office been informed I would be welcome there is no way on earth I would have missed it.’
Tutu, 82, said he had cancelled his plans to fly to the Eastern Cape after receiving no indication that his name was on the guest list. In an apparent U-turn last night, president Jacob Zuma’s office insisted Tutu would be allowed to attend.
‘If he had called, we would have given him accreditation. They would never have turned Tutu away. There were no malicious shenanigans,’ said a spokeswoman.
Patriotism: Mourners wave and cheer as the hearse transporting the flag-draped casket containing Mandela's body as it passes through the town of Mthatha
High security: Soldiers in full combat gear, male and female, were stationed on foot on either side of the road from the airport in Mthatha
Paying respects: Thousands of mourners line the streets of Umthatha as the enormous convoy of police, military and other vehicles sweeps through their town
Prince Charles’s place among the mourners, however, is assured. He will be among a group of 430 to actually see Mandela buried in a hillside opposite his home, near the graves of relatives.
‘We are very happy that your future king will be with us,’ said local dignitary Nzg Yorkwana, who runs the Nelson Mandela Museum on the outskirts of Qunu. ‘He is a very dignified man and I am looking forward to meeting him.’
Mandela and the people of this remote region are from the Thembu tribe of the Xhosa ethnic group and have a royal family of their own, of which Mandela was a member.
‘Prince Charles has a great sense of tradition,’ said Ms Yorkwana. ‘I’m sure he will be very interested in the service.’
And unlike certain world leaders, the Queen’s eldest son will, of course, resist the urge to whip out his mobile for a ‘selfie’.
‘That would be unthinkable,’ laughed Ms Yorkwana.
Figurehead: A South African mourner embraces a poster of Mandela, while waiting with other mourners for the motorcade transporting the body of the former president to pass by in the town of Mthatha. Right, Khanyile Diko cheers while wearing a T-shirt depicting the liberation hero as a scarf around his neck
Crowds of mourners cheer as they await the motorcade: Mandela languished in jail for 27 years for his opposition to the racist apartheid regime. Freed in 1990, he emerged to forge a new democratic South Africa by promoting forgiveness and reconciliation
A celebration of life: Mourners sing, wave their national flag and hold up posters of Mandela as they wait for his funeral cortège to appear
Full military honours: Fighter jets escort the military plane carrying the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela as it is flown to Mandela's home in the village of Qunu, Eastern Cape
By early evening, mourners were leaving Mandela’s house after a supper and informal speeches of thanks to the doctors who took care of him.
Mandela’s eldest grandson and heir, Mandla, helped staff move huge bouquets of white lilies from the house to the adjoining marquee for the service.
As well as Christian hymns, it will include Xhosa singing and dancing accompanied by the explosive sound of the Igbo drum. Poems about Mandela’s life and achievements will also be read.
‘It will be a very special occasion,’ said 19-year-old Sibabale Ketwa. ‘He was such an inspiration. I am working hard at school and I hope that like him I can leave this area and go on to do great things. Well, maybe not quite as great as him.’
'THE STORY OF NELSON MANDELA IS SO MUCH THE STORY OF SOUTH AFRICA': OBITUARY OF THE LATE FORMER PRESIDENT
Nelson Mandela passed on peacefully in the company of his family on December 5
As taken from the state funeral programme
It is with deep sadness that the Government has learnt of the passing of the father of South Africa’s democracy – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
He passed on peacefully in the company of his family around 20h50 on the 5th of December 2013.
The man who was to become one of the world’s greatest icons was born in Mvezo, Transkei on 18 July 1918, to Nongaphi Nosekeni and Henry Gadla Mandela. His father was the key counsellor/advisor to the Thembu royal house. After his father’s death in 1927, the young Rolihlahla became the ward of Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu nation. It was at the Thembu royal homestead that his personality, values and political views were shaped. There can be no doubt that the young man went on to bring about some of the most significant and remarkable changes in South African history and politics.
It is through Mandela that the world cast its eyes on South Africa and took notice of the severe and organised repression of black South Africans. Yet it was also through Mandela that the world would learn the spirit of endurance, the triumph of forgiveness and the beauty of reconciliation. Indeed, the story of Nelson Mandela is so much the story of South Africa.
When he was only 25 years old, Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC). His political career would span decades more – as he himself said: 'The struggle is my life.' The young Mandela also qualified and practiced as a lawyer. Together with Oliver Tambo he opened the first black legal practice in Johannesburg.
Mandela married Evelyn Nomathamsanqa Mase in 1945. They were married for fourteen years and had four children: Thembekile (1946), Makaziwe (1947), who died at nine months, Makgatho (1951) and Makaziwe (1954). The couple divorced in 1958.
He was instrumental in the formation of the radical ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the 1940s which was determined to change the face of politics. Mandela was elected the league’s National Secretary in 1948 and President in 1952.
Much of the years that followed saw Mandela deeply involved in activism, rallying for political change against the increasingly aggressive apartheid government. He was a key player in the ANC’s Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws in 1952 and the Treason Trial in 1961. During this time he was incarcerated several times under the apartheid laws and banned from political activity. Realising that the ANC needed to prepare for more intensive struggle, he became an instrumental force behind the formation of a new section of the liberation movement, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), as an armed nucleus with a view to preparing for armed struggle. Mandela was commander in chief of MK.
On 14 June 1958 Nelson and Winnie Madikizela were married at a local Bizana church. They had two children, Zenani (1958) and Zindziswa (1960). In April 1992 they were separated and finally divorced in 1996.
He left the country in 1962 and traveled abroad to arrange guerilla training for members of MK. On his return to South Africa he was arrested for illegally exiting the country and incitement to strike. Mandela decided to represent himself in court. While on trial, Mandela was charged with sabotage in the Rivonia Trial. This is his famous statement from the dock made in 1964: 'I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.'
In the same year Mandela and the other accused were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial and sent to Robben Island, near Cape Town. While in prison, Mandela rejected offers made by his jailers to be released on condition that he renounced violence. 'Prisoners cannot enter into contracts. Only free men can negotiate,' he said. He served a total of 27 years in prison for his conviction to fight apartheid and its injustices.
Nelson Mandela, two days after his liberation, welcomed by 100,000 people in the football stadium in Soweto
Released on 11 February 1990, Mandela plunged wholeheartedly into his life’s work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after being banned for decades, Nelson Mandela was elected President of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organisation’s National Chairperson.
In a life that symbolises the triumph of the human spirit, Nelson Mandela accepted the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize (along with FW de Klerk) on behalf of all South Africans who suffered and sacrificed so much to bring peace to our land.
The era of apartheid formally came to an end on the April 27, 1994, when Nelson Mandela voted for the first time in his life – along with his people. However, long before that date it had become clear, even before the start of negotiations at the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park, that the ANC was increasingly charting the future of South Africa.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was inaugurated as President of a democratic South Africa on 10 May 1994.
This world icon worked tirelessly even after the achievement of democracy in South Africa to continue improving lives. Even as he retired from politics, his attention shifted to social issues such as HIV and AIDS and the wellbeing of the nation’s children.
As a testimony to his sharp political intellect, wisdom and unrelenting commitment to make the world a better place, Mandela formed the prestigious group of called The Elders – an independent group of eminent global leaders who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.
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Goodbye to an icon: Nelson Mandela's coffin is slowly lowered into the ground in the hills close to where he grew up at the small, private burial today in Qunu as military salute and mourners watch the poignant moment
Poignant: Nelson Mandela's coffin was carried to his grave and then the flag of the country he loved so ardently was removed and handed to his widow Graca Machel
United in grief: Mandela's widow Graca Michel and his ex-wife Winnie Mandela tearfully comforted one another as they sat next to president Jacob Zuma and Mandela's grandson Mandla as he was laid to rest
Special tribute: The South African air force fly over Mandela's grave in the hills of Qunu where he grew up, which was accompanied by a 21-gun salute
A nation in mourning: Three helicopters carrying South African flags fly over the burial site today as a much smaller crowd of mourners watched the great statesman laid to rest after ten days of official mourning
Burial: The military carry Mandela's body along the pathway to the area where South Africa's beloved son's burial site in Qunu
Final journey: The coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela is carried by military personnel at the end of his funeral service in his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape
Earlier she arrived at the state ceremony ahead of her husband to honour the tradition of being home to receive his body in a room where his portrait stood above a bank of 95 candles representing each year of his remarkable life.
Around 5,000 guests, including his ex-wife Winnie, the Prince of Wales, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson and the American civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, were also at the service.
But the ceremony overran by nearly two hours as political figures gave a series of extended eulogies, meaning that his tribe's tradition that burials should be at noon 'when the sun is at its highest and the shadow at its shortest' had to change.
The current leader of his beloved country, Jacob Zuma, told mourners Madiba, as he was adoringly called, was 'a fountain of wisdom, a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope for all those fighting for a just and equitable world order.
'Today marks the end of extraordinary journey that began 95 years ago, the long walk to freedom has ended'.
‘When people see goodness in a person they respond by reflecting goodnesss back at that person and on their fellow man and women,' Zuma said.
'Thank you for being everything we wanted in a leader during a difficult period in our lives.
'Your long walk to freedom has ended but in a physical sense our journey continues.
'We have to take your legacy forward and in doing so we will continue taking lessons from your very rich and extraordinary life.
Gathered to remember Madiba: South Africa's president Jacob Zuma (2nd left), Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Mandela (left), and the widow of Mandela, Graca Machel (3rd left), sit by his coffin
Embrace: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who initially claimed he had not been invited to the funeral, hugs former president Thabo Mbeki
Respect: Candles are lit under a portrait of Nelson Mandela before his funeral. One for every year of his life
Dignitaries: Prince Charles, right, arrives for the state funeral on Sunday
Representing Britain: The Queen sent the Prince of Wales, pictured here speaking to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a politician and former wife of Jacob Zuma
Mourners: US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, centre, her husband Stedman Graham, left, and English businessman Richard Branson, right, watching the state funeral service
Praise: President Jacob Zuma said that Mandela was 'a fountain of wisdom, a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope'
Historic figure: Thousands of people are paying tribute to South Africa 's first black president
He read a Mandela quote: ‘I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I fought it all through my life. I fight it now and will fight it to the end of my life.’
He said he taught forgiveness and reconciliation.
‘We learned from you that to build a new society, a new SA from the ashes of apartheid and colonialism we had to rise above anger and the human desire for retribution.’
Zuma also spoke of Mandela's dedication to gender equality which led to more women in public life.
He said: ‘We dare not reverse your achievements in this regard.’
‘As you take your final steps, South Africa will continue to rise.’
He said the poor and working class have benefitted from the fruits of democracy.
‘We commit to work more intensely to deal a decisive blow against poverty, inequality.’
Promised improved utilities, better jobs and working conditions as well as efficient and accountable public service.
‘We will be able to complete this country’s transformation into a global force for social and economic leadership that you believed we were capable of being.’
‘Tata as your triumphant journey comes to an end we sincerely thank you.’
‘We sincerely thank you, thank your family for sharing you with us and the world.’
Zumas added that his children must be truly proud today to be ‘brought to this planet by a man so great and humble’.
His casket, transported to the tent on a gun carriage and draped in the national flag, rested on a carpet of cow skins below a lectern where speakers delivered eulogies.
'A great tree has fallen, he is now going home to rest with his forefathers,' said Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima, a representative of Mandela's family.
Nandi Mandela said her grandfather went barefoot to school in Qunu when he was boy and eventually became president and a figure of global import.
'It is to each of us to achieve anything you want in life,' she said, recalling kind gestures by Mandela 'that made all those around him also want to do good.'
In the Xhosa language, she referred to her grandfather by his clan name: 'Go well, Madiba. go well to the land of our ancestors, you have run your race.'
Ahmed Kathrada, an anti-apartheid activist who was jailed on Robben Island with Mandela, remembered his old friend's 'abundant reserves' of love, patience and tolerance. He said it was painful when he saw Mandela for the last time, months ago in his hospital bed.
'He tightly held my hand, it was profoundly heartbreaking,' Kathrada said, his voice breaking at times. 'How I wish I never had to confront what I saw. I first met him 67 years ago and I recall the tall, healthy strong man, the boxer, the prisoner who easily wielded the pick and shovel when we couldn't do so.'
Final journey: The coffin carrying former South African President Nelson Mandela is escorted into his state funeral service in Qunu this morning
Eulogy: Mandela's granddaughter Nand takes to the podium to pay her tributes to the leader
Honor: A gun salute is fired as the funeral procession nears the Mandela family compound
Reading an obituary, Mr Mandela's grandson Ndaba Mandela said the former leader became 'one of the world's greatest icons'.
'It is through Mandela that the world cast its eyes on South Africa and took notice of the severe and organised repression of black South Africans,' he said.
'It is through Mandela that the world cast its eyes on South Africa and took notice of the severe and organised repression of black South Africans,' he said.
'Yet it was also through Mandela that the world would learn the spirit of endurance, the triumph of forgiveness and the beauty of reconciliation.'
Some mourners wiped away tears as Kathrada spoke, his voice trembling with emotion.
Mandela's widow, Grace Machel, and his second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, were dressed in black and sat on either side of South African President Jacob Zuma.
Guests included veterans of the military wing of the African National Congress, the liberation movement that became the dominant political force after the end of apartheid, as well as U.S. Ambassador Patrick Gaspard and other foreign envoys.
More than an hour into the service, people were still filling empty seats in parts of the marquee. Soldiers moved in to occupy some chairs.
The funeral includes traditions of Mandela's Thembu clan, as well as a 21-gun salute, brass band and fly over by jets. Elders in traditional funeral attire out of respect for Mandela and his family sang old struggle songs as they lined the road to greet the funeral cortege.
Procession: Military officers accompany the coffin into the funeral as others stand to attention
Wives: Grace Machel, left, and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, right, have led South Africa in mourning for the man they were both married to
Speech: Joyce Banda, the president of Malawi, was one of many African leaders to pay tribute to Mandela at the service
Stage: The speakers delivered their addresses in front of 95 candles, representing every year of Mandela's life
Moved: Mandela's daughter Makaziwe, centre, sits in front of her father's coffin during the ceremony
Tears: The former president's daughter Zindzi comforts another mourner
An ox was to be slaughtered, the deceased was wrapped in a leopard skin and a family elder continued to talk to the body's spirit throughout the service. The occasion also included elements more often seen in a Christian burial and at a state funeral, including prayers and the national anthem.
The leopard skin signifies Mandela's status as a high-ranking official. Because he was also a former statesman, the casket was covered in the flag.
Following a tradition called Thetha, Xhosa culture requires a family elder to stay with Mandela's body and explain to his spirit what is happening.
'When the body lies there, the spirit is still alive,' the Rev Wesley Mabuza, chairman of South Africa's Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the right of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, said.
Mandela's widow Graca Machel arrived ahead of the casket to honor the tradition of being home to receive his body.
As the coffin arrived in the white tent for the state funeral, all guests except the family stood, and the choir sung Lizalis' idinga Iakho.
It was placed in the centre of the domed tent, on top of a cattle skin. His widow, Machel, and first wife, Winnie Mandela, then walked into the tent hand in hand. His children from both marriages were sat in the front row, with president Jacob Zuma between them.
Family said they had been reuniting by Machel and Winnie's show of friendship.
A central feature in the tent was a large picture of Mandela, placed behind 95 lit candles, one for each year of his long and full life.
But he left us to 'join the A-team of the ANC,' Kathrada said, as he named those who alongside Mandela had struggled for freedom.
He added: 'It is up to the present generation and generations to come to take up the cudgels when you have left, and take up the challenges South Africa faces today.'
Over the past week it has sometimes seemed that everyone was trying to claim a piece of the great man – and that dignity was sometimes lacking – but he was at last back among his own people. In the little time left before he is committed to the ground today, the elders of his tribe have promised to do things differently.
Tradition: Mandela's casket, covered in the nation's flag, was placed on a cattle skin as the service combined elements of traditional and state funerals
Display: The coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela is seen draped in a South African national flag during his funeral in his ancestral village of Qunu
State funeral: Mandela's coffin is carried into the white tent for the service
Support: African National Congress supporters chant before the start of the funeral
Dignitaries: Anti-apartheid activist and friend Ahmed Kathrada, right, with former South Africa president Thabo Mbeki
United in grief: Mandela's widow Graca Machel, above, and his former wife Winnie, below, arrived holding hands and sat together for the service
Traditional: Mandla Mandela right, grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela, during his grandfather's funeral
As the state funeral got underway, the national anthem, God Bless Africa, was performed. The anthem is sung in five languages - three African as well as Afrikaans and English.
Deputy leader of the ANC Cyril Ramaphosa spoke at the funeral, explaining that in accordance with cultural traditions, they planned to lay Mandela to rest at noon 'When the sun is at hits highest and shadows are at its shortest'.
He told the mourners he agreed with president Jacob Zuma, who called Mandela South Africa's greatest son: 'Indeed today, the person who lies here today is South Africa's greatest son.'
Ramaphosa also welcomed royalty and presidents from Africa and around the world, including Prince Charles, and the Prince of Monaco.
When Chief Ngangamhlaba Matanzima, a cousin and spokesman for the Mandela family addressed the service he criticised those who had booed President Zuma during the memorial at the stadium. He added that the fake sign language interpreter had been an embarrassment to the nation.
Wearing a leopard skin to show his status as a chief, Matanzima asked the medical team who cared for Mandela to stand while they were applauded.
The next speaker was Ahmed Kathrada, a friend and anti-apartheid activist who was imprisoned alongside Mandela on Robben Island for more than 20 years.
He spoke fondly of his last meeting with Mandela, and how it brought back memories of when they first met 67 years ago, when he was a 'tall, healthy, strong man. The boxer, the prisoner who easily wielded the pick and shovel ... and vigorously exercised every morning.'
NELSON MANDELA'S FINAL JOURNEY: THE STATE FUNERAL PROGRAMME FOR THE LATE FORMER PRESIDENT
AT HOME
Family Valedictory Service - Rev V Nyobole
Opening Devotions
Viewing of the body; Homily; Draping of the casket; Placing of the casket on the gun carriage and forming up of procession; Procession departs for the marquee
MARQUEE SERVICE
Funeral Service
National Anthem; Opening devotions: Bishop D Dabula
Madiba Family Representative - Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima
Close friend - Mr Ahmed Kathrada
Reading of the Obituary
Tribute by the children and grandchildren: Ms Nandi Mandela
Tribute by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (AU Chairperson)
Tribute by President Joyce Banda (SADC Chairperson)
Tribute by President Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania)
Oration by President Jacob Zuma
Sermon and Benediction - Bishop Z Siwa; Military Ceremony - Chaplain-General of the SANDF; Movement of Designated Mourners to the Gravesite; Military Procession
AT THE GRAVESITE
President and family are seated at the gravesite
Removal of the Orders, Decorations, Medals and Miniature RSA Flag from the coffin by the SANDF to be handed over to the Chief of the SANDF who hands it over to the President for presentation to the next-of-kin.
Undraping of the casket
Pall-bearers salute and withdraw
Military pall-bearers take up position
Playing of the National Anthem, 21 Round Interment Salute and the Salute Flight
The Last Post is sounded
Sounding of Reveille
Military pall-bearers salute and withdraw
Committal Service by Bishop D Dabula
Vote of thanks: Major-General (retired) Bantu Holomisa
Benediction - Bishop D Dabula
Final goodbye: The flag-draped casket of South Africa's first black president arrives in Mandela's village
Coming home: A parade of servicemen lead the casket to the funeral
Home at last: Military officers and Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, rear, accompany the casket of the former South African President as it arrives in Qunu
Journey's end: The hearse carrying the coffin of former South African president Nelson Mandela passes by the tent dome set up in Qunu for his funeral
Tradition: Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, right, watches as local chiefs escort the lion skin draped casket of former South African President as it arrives at the Mandela residence in Qunu
Winnie Mandela (left), ex-wife of former South African President, and Graca Macel, widow of Mandela, wipe away tears as his flag-draped coffin arrives at the Mthata airport
Prayer: A traditional Shembe priest offers prayers as he looks towards the dome where Mandela's funeral was held
Spectator: A man watches the funeral on a big screen erected near the site of the ceremony
Watching: Locals who were kept away from the ceremony itself watched a big screen overlooking the venue
Assembled: Residents of Qunu sit and watch the proceedings unfold
Shelter: Women watching the funeral in Qunu wearing cloths on their heads to keep off the sun
In an operation led by the military, the journey began at dawn at Pretoria’s air force base Waterkloof, where 1,000 members of the ANC gave him an exuberant send-off, with singing and dancing beneath a hangar decked out in the party colours of green, black and gold.
Accompanied by family members, tribal elders and senior government figures, the coffin was then flown 550 miles to Mthatha airport, about 20 miles from Qunu.
Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, and his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela travelled separately from the coffin, in accordance with tribal tradition, and were seen comforting each other as it arrived.
From the airport, a hearse carried Mandela through the town, where crowds lined the route ten deep, then along Nelson Mandela Road and into the open countryside of green hills and red-flowering Cape Aloe.
There were helicopters, armoured personnel vehicles, expensive cars – which all seemed to have blue lights, whether they contained police officers or not – and an endless stream of motorcycle outriders, some in white uniforms.
Women hold ANC flags and banners as the long convoy bringing Mandela's body home finally arrives in Qunu. As police and military helicopters buzzed overheard, mourners broke into the South African national anthem as the cortège appeared
A last look at the father of the nation: Locals take photos as Mandela's hearse nears Qunu, a small hamlet in South Africa's Eastern Cape province where he grew up
Parade: Members of the South Africa navy look on at the dome which was set up to host the funeral
A military guard of honour stands to attention at the Mandela family's homestead in Qunu. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95
Just before 4pm the hearse swept down a gentle slope overlooking a restful scene: the hills and valleys where Mandela roamed as a boy, gathering wild honey, stick-fighting with friends and herding cattle.
‘Madiba is coming home,’ is how 13-year-old Siyathemba Nkunzi, watching with his mother, put it.
The crowd linked hands at the sides of the freshly tarmacked road and mouthed goodbyes as the hearse passed by. Some whistled with excitement. But no one cheered, no one screamed.
Farther up the highway a group of children busied themselves slaughtering a sheep. Qunu was celebrating the return of its revered son.
The military here relinquished control of proceedings and the elders took over. Inside Mandela’s peach-coloured farmhouse, a centuries-old ceremony was performed. The most senior elder ‘spoke to the body’ and, to ensure the spirit of the anti-apartheid hero would enter the next world untroubled, apologised for any past disagreements.
Incense was burned and the body was covered in the skin of a cow slaughtered that day. ‘A normal person from his tribe would be covered in a black and white blanket, but the cow skin is reserved for a man of great stature,’ said a villager.
A small branch from an olive tree was kept near the body. It was brought by air from Qunu soon after Mandela died on December 5 at his home in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Houghton. It was used by an elder to address his spirit and persuade him to return to Qunu.
Hero: A woman raises her fist in salute as she watches the hearse carrying her country's first black president drive by on the way to his final resting place
Locals cheers as Mandela arrives: Iit was escorted by an enormous convoy of police, military and other vehicles, many flashing emergency lights, arriving at about 4pm local time after going past cheering crowds who had lined the route to pay their respects
Loved by the people: The motorcade transporting Mandela's body passes through crowds of mourners gathered in the town of Mthatha on its way to Qunu
Africa: Young women dance by the roadside in the small village of Queque, near Qunu, as they wait to watch the funeral procession to sweep by
Mandela’s house in the village is modest and contains souvenirs of his life since he was freed. Dominating one wall is an outsized portrait of himself and Graca.
On a bookshelf sits Thomas Macaulay’s History Of England, given to him by Prince Charles, who will be among the 4,500 guests attending today’s funeral, along with Bill and Hillary Clinton, civil rights leader the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey.
While Qunu thoroughly approves of the Prince of Wales, politicians – with the exception of Mandela – are not particularly popular among the 500 inhabitants.
It is because of the presence of so many government ministers, diplomats and overseas leaders that many local people have been excluded from attending the funeral.
‘In our culture it is disrespectful for us not to go, but there is nothing we can do about it, and that is very upsetting,’ said Simesihile Sohaye.
It wasn’t just the locals who were left out. Unfathomably, retired archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mandela’s long-time friend and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has not been invited. Some political observers speculated that his criticism of the governing ANC was at the root of the snub.
‘Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata [Mandela] to gatecrash what was billed as a private funeral,’ said Tutu.
‘Had I or my office been informed I would be welcome there is no way on earth I would have missed it.’
Tutu, 82, said he had cancelled his plans to fly to the Eastern Cape after receiving no indication that his name was on the guest list. In an apparent U-turn last night, president Jacob Zuma’s office insisted Tutu would be allowed to attend.
‘If he had called, we would have given him accreditation. They would never have turned Tutu away. There were no malicious shenanigans,’ said a spokeswoman.
Patriotism: Mourners wave and cheer as the hearse transporting the flag-draped casket containing Mandela's body as it passes through the town of Mthatha
High security: Soldiers in full combat gear, male and female, were stationed on foot on either side of the road from the airport in Mthatha
Paying respects: Thousands of mourners line the streets of Umthatha as the enormous convoy of police, military and other vehicles sweeps through their town
Prince Charles’s place among the mourners, however, is assured. He will be among a group of 430 to actually see Mandela buried in a hillside opposite his home, near the graves of relatives.
‘We are very happy that your future king will be with us,’ said local dignitary Nzg Yorkwana, who runs the Nelson Mandela Museum on the outskirts of Qunu. ‘He is a very dignified man and I am looking forward to meeting him.’
Mandela and the people of this remote region are from the Thembu tribe of the Xhosa ethnic group and have a royal family of their own, of which Mandela was a member.
‘Prince Charles has a great sense of tradition,’ said Ms Yorkwana. ‘I’m sure he will be very interested in the service.’
And unlike certain world leaders, the Queen’s eldest son will, of course, resist the urge to whip out his mobile for a ‘selfie’.
‘That would be unthinkable,’ laughed Ms Yorkwana.
Figurehead: A South African mourner embraces a poster of Mandela, while waiting with other mourners for the motorcade transporting the body of the former president to pass by in the town of Mthatha. Right, Khanyile Diko cheers while wearing a T-shirt depicting the liberation hero as a scarf around his neck
Crowds of mourners cheer as they await the motorcade: Mandela languished in jail for 27 years for his opposition to the racist apartheid regime. Freed in 1990, he emerged to forge a new democratic South Africa by promoting forgiveness and reconciliation
A celebration of life: Mourners sing, wave their national flag and hold up posters of Mandela as they wait for his funeral cortège to appear
Full military honours: Fighter jets escort the military plane carrying the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela as it is flown to Mandela's home in the village of Qunu, Eastern Cape
By early evening, mourners were leaving Mandela’s house after a supper and informal speeches of thanks to the doctors who took care of him.
Mandela’s eldest grandson and heir, Mandla, helped staff move huge bouquets of white lilies from the house to the adjoining marquee for the service.
As well as Christian hymns, it will include Xhosa singing and dancing accompanied by the explosive sound of the Igbo drum. Poems about Mandela’s life and achievements will also be read.
‘It will be a very special occasion,’ said 19-year-old Sibabale Ketwa. ‘He was such an inspiration. I am working hard at school and I hope that like him I can leave this area and go on to do great things. Well, maybe not quite as great as him.’
Nelson Mandela passed on peacefully in the company of his family on December 5
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