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Nelson Mandela was one of the world's most respected figures. Source: Supplied
- Nelson Mandela passes away 'peacefully' at home aged 95
- Obama: 'He achieved more than can be expected of any man'
- Abbott: 'The world may never see another Nelson Mandela'
- A global hero: Leave your tribute to Nelson Mandela here
SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma has announced that Nelson Mandela's funeral will take place on December 15 at his rural childhood home.
"He will be laid to rest on the 15th of December in Qunu in the Eastern Cape province. We should all work together to organise the most befitting funeral for this outstanding son of our country and the father of our young nation,'' Mr said Zuma.
As flags were lowered to half mast, people across South Africa commemorated Nelson Mandela with song, tears and prayers as the government prepared funeral ceremonies that will draw leaders and other dignitaries from around the globe.
A black SUV-type vehicle containing Mandela's coffin, draped in South Africa's flag, pulled away from Mandela's home after midnight, escorted by military motorcycle outriders, to take the body to a military morgue in Pretoria, the capital.
Many South Africans heard the news of his death, which was announced just before midnight, upon waking, and they flocked to his home in Johannesburg's leafy Houghton neighbourhood. One woman hugged her two sons over a floral tribute.
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Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu prays for the Mandela family. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
In a church service in Cape Town, retired archbishop Desmond Tutu said the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa's first black president would want South Africans themselves to be his "memorial'' by adhering to the values of unity and democracy that he embodied.
"All of us here in many ways amazed the world, a world that was expecting us to be devastated by a racial conflagration,'' Tutu said, recalling how Mandela helped unite South Africa as it dismantled apartheid, the cruel system of white rule, and prepared for all-race elections in 1994.
In closing his prayer, Tutu said: "God, thank you for the gift of Madiba.''
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Mandela, also known by his clan name Madiba, was a "very human person'' with a sense of humour who took interest in people around him, said F.W. de Klerk, South Africa's last apartheid-era president. The two men negotiated the end of apartheid, finding common cause in often tense circumstances, and shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
In summarising Mandela's legacy, de Klerk told eNCA television: "Never and never again should there be in South Africa the suppression of anyone by another.''
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who is visiting South Korea, mourns Nelson Mandela's death and says the world needs people like the late leader. Rough Cut (no reporer narration).
Mourners also gathered outside Mandela's former home on Vilakazi Street in the city's black township of Soweto.
South Africa's banking association said banks will close on the day of Mandela's funeral. The government has yet to announce a detailed schedule for a mourning period that is expected to last more than a week.
The liberation struggle icon's grandson, Mandla Mandela, said he was strengthened by the knowledge that his grandfather was finally resting.
"All that I can do is thank God that I had a grandfather who loved and guided all of us in the family,'' Mandla Mandela said in a statement. "The best lesson that he taught all of us was the need for us to be prepared to be of service to our people.''
He said the late statesman was the embodiment of strength, struggle, and survival. As a grandfather Mandela would always be remembered as kind-hearted, generous and wise.
As news of Nelson Mandela's passing spreads, world leaders express their condolences and reflect on the legacy of the former South African president who broke racial barriers in a post-apartheid country. Nathan Frandino reports.
Mandla Mandela expressed gratitude for the national and international support his family had received during Mandela's long health problems.
"We in the family recognise that Madiba belongs not only to us but to the entire world. The messages we have received since last night have heartened and overwhelmed us.''
Zelda la Grange, Mandela's personal assistant for almost two decades, said the elder statesman inspired people to forgive, reconcile, care, be selfless, tolerant, and to maintain dignity no matter what the circumstances.
"His legacy will not only live on in everything that has been named after him, the books, the images, the movies. It will live on in how we feel when we hear his name, the respect and love, the unity he inspired in us as a country, but particularly how we relate to one another,'' she said in a statement.
Flowers and tributes lie at the foot of a statue of former South African President Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square, central London. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II said she was "deeply saddened" by the death of Nelson Mandela, adding that he had "worked tirelessly for the good of his country". AFP PHOTO / LEON NEAL Source: AFP
Helen Zille, leader of the country's official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, and premier of the Western Cape, the only province not controlled by the ANC, commented: "We all belong to the South African family - and we owe that sense of belonging to Madiba. That is his legacy. It is why there is an unparalleled outpouring of national grief at his passing. It is commensurate with the contribution he made to our country.
Preparations have begun for the state funeral of South Africa's liberation hero Nelson Mandela, dead at 95.
Heads of state from across the world, including US President Barack Obama, and well-known personalities who were close to the statesman, such as Oprah Winfrey and Bill and Hillary Clinton are expected to attend his state funeral.
Unofficial government sources have said he could be laid to rest on December 14, though some are calling for his burial to take place on the 16th, a public holiday named Reconciliation Day.
More details on the funeral are due to be released later.
The gathering of world leaders will be one of the largest in South Africa since Mandela was inaugurated as its first black president in 1994.
Mandela will lie in state at the seat of government the Union Buildings in the capital Pretoria.
A period of mourning will precede the 95-year-old's burial, during which the country's flags will fly at half-mast.
Mandela passed away aged 95 at his home in Johannesburg this morning after a long battle with illness.
Tributes to the former political prisoner who rose to be South African president were led by political leaders, celebrities and sports stars but extended to millions of ordinary citizens around the globe who also felt the impact of a colossal life.
People in South Africa reacted with deep sadness at the loss of a man considered by many to be the father of the nation but many were also conscious that it was also a time to celebrate Mandela's many achievements.
South African president Jacob Zuma declared Mandela dead, saying he had passed away at home surrounded by family at 8.50pm South African time.
"He is now resting ... he is now at peace,'' a sombre Mr Zuma said.
Mandela was a revered figure in South African and African politics more generally, serving as the first president of South Africa in its post-apartheid era.
A leader in the fledgling African National Congress in the 1950s and 1960s, he was tried by the South African government and imprisoned for treason. He spent a total of 27 years in prison, 18 years of which were spent in a tiny cell on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town.
His release in 1990 was a moment of global celebration and signalled the coming demise of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela revisits his prison cell on Robben Island, where he spent 18 of his 27 years in prison, 1994. Picture: Jurgen Schadeberg/Getty Images Source: Supplied
"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father," Mr Zuma said.
"Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss.
"His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world."
He described Mandela as a man who "brought South Africans together".
All South African flags will be lowered to half mast until after Mandela's state funeral, he said.
Mandela had been struggling with his health in recent years and his Johannesburg home in the up-market Houghton suburb had been reconfigured for him to receive intensive care.
South Africans gather for a candlelight vigil outside the house of Nelson Mandela following his death. Picture: AFP Photo/ Joe Alexander Source: AFP
In late November, his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela revealed the former president was unable to speak and used facial expressions to communicate.
She said he was not on life support but was no longer talking "because of all the tubes that are in his mouth to clear (fluid from) the lungs" and prevent infection returning.
Mandela was discharged from hospital to his home in a critical condition on September 1.
A globally admired figure for steering his nation peacefully into democracy, his health problems had already prompted outpourings of well wishes around the world.
His passing is being particularly felt at home though where he remained a symbol of unity, despite having been out of the public eye for several years.
Revered anti-apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela has died. He was one of the 20th century's iconic symbols of freedom and equality. He was 94 years old.
Mandela served one term as president after he became the nation's first leader elected in all-race polls in 1994.
He had walked free from prison in 1990.
Residents of the black township of Soweto gathered in the streets near the house where he once lived as news of his death filtered through.
"We are celebrating his life and all that he did for us," said Terry Mokoena, 47, who had taped the words "Rest In Peace'' on his Mandela T-shirt. "I am happy that he is now at peace. He has done so much for us, it would be greedy for us to say that he should do more. Mandela united us - black, white, coloured and Indian - he taught us togetherness."
Tributes also flowed from almost every corner of the world.
Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi pays tribute to Nelson Mandela. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
US President Barack Obama said Mandela "achieved more than can be expected of any man".
"He no longer belongs to us. He belongs to the ages."
"He did it all with grace and good humour ... only makes the man more remarkable. I am one of the countless millions who have drawn inspiration from Mandela's life."
Mr Obama said the release of Mandela from prison gave him an example of what human beings could achieve "when guided by their hopes rather than their fears".
African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and wife Winnie raise fists upon his release from Victor Verster prison, 11 February 1990 in Paarl. Picture: AFP / Joe Alexander Source: AFP
UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon said he was "profoundly saddened" by Mandela's passing.
"He touched our lives in deeply personal ways. Mandela showed what was possible in our world," he said. "His moral force was decisive in dismantling the system of apartheid."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he had never met Mandela but thought he was an extraordinary man.
"Nelson Mandela was one of the great figures of Africa … and arguably one of the great figures of the century," Mr Abbott told 3AW's Neil Mitchell. "A truly great man.
"While I never met him I did read that book A Long Walk to Freedom and the impression I got of Nelson Mandela is that he was someone who suffered but was not bitter but enabled by that suffering."
South Africans hold a candlelight vigil outside Mandela's house. Pic: Joe Alexander. Source: AFP
In a later statement Mr Abbott said Mandela would be remembered not just as a political leader but a "moral leader".
"He spent much of his life standing against the injustice of apartheid. When that fight was won, he inspired us again by his capacity to forgive and reconcile his country," he said.
"While the world may never see another Nelson Mandela, he has inspired countless men and women throughout the world to live more courageous and honest lives. On behalf of the Australian government and the Australian community, I extend my condolences to Mr Mandela's family and to the people of South Africa."
Nelson Mandela kissing then wife Winnie at a rally in Cape Town in 1993. Pic: AP Source: Supplied
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd added to the tributes.
"A light just went out across the world with the passing of Nelson Mandela," Mr Rudd told News Corp Australia.
"In a word, the transformational power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Man of the century: Nelson Mandela."
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard Tweeted after she heard the news.
"The world has lost a great man. As we grieve for Nelson Mandela we should also celebrate his tremendous victory over prejudice and hate," she wrote.
A touching look at the history-shaping life of Nelson Mandela, greatly missed.
Prince William, attending the premiere of the Mandela biopic in London with his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, described the death as "extremely sad and tragic news".
The audience was told of the death as the credits of the movie rolled.
Speaking minutes later, Prince William described Mandela as an inspiring man.
"My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, it's very sad," he said.
Mandela's two youngest daughters were told of the death at the London premiere.
Nelson Mandela, South African leader and apartheid foe, died Thursday at 95. Here are a selection of speeches he gave after his release from prison in 1990, and while as president in 1994.
British news reports suggested Zindzi, 55, "seemed to be overcome'' shortly after going inside the cinema.
They were informed of the news by telephone "and immediately left the cinema'', according to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
However, the pair requested that the premiere continue.
Former Prime Minister John Howard said Mr Mandela was one of the world's greatest figures.
Mandela, pictured in the early 1960s, before he was sentenced to life in prison. The government did not release photos of Mandela during his many years in prison, and few people knew what he looked like at the time of his release. Source: News Limited
"He reminded us that, whatever the odds, persistence and endurance ultimately can win through".
"His capacity to forgive those who had imprisoned him for so long was, arguably the most important quality of his leadership of South Africa. It displayed a remarkable generosity of spirit," Mr Howard said in a statement.
"Nelson Mandela's warm personality endeared him not only to his own people, but to millions around the world.
"He set a great example to the people of South Africa, who can best honour his legacy by working to ensure that the new South Africa he strove so hard to create is preserved and strengthened."
Governor-General Quentin Bryce said Mr Mandela's death brought "great sadness to the world".
"No person in our lifetime has been more admired and respected," a statement from Ms Bryce read."
"He inspired us all by his leadership and enduring commitment to the recognition of the worth of every human being. The freedom and reconciliation that followed years of injustice and struggle will continue to capture the imagination of people everywhere."
Ms Bryce remembered the "twinkling sense of humour" on the face of Mr Mandela during the last time they met.
Mandela will be remembered as an exemplar of hope, justice and fortitude. Source: Supplied
"I remember well my last meeting with Mr Mandela, as Governor-General, in Johannesburg in March 2009. His wisdom and dignity shone through, as always. So too, the twinkling sense of humour etched on his face," she said."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Mandela's family and the people of South Africa at this time of sorrow and mourning."
Nelson Mandela holds up a copy of his autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom in 1994. Picture: AFP Source: Supplied
Former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans described Mandela as "simply the most impressive and humanly decent statesman I have ever met,'' he said.
Evans was captivated "by that huge luminescent smile, by his unending charm and grace, the lucid intelligence with which he discussed his country's transition problems, but above all by that extraordinary, almost unbelievable, lack of bitterness toward his Afrikaaner jailers of 27 years.''
He also was overwhelmed by Mandela's willingness to meet him to thank Australia for the "significant role'' it played in South Africa's transformation'' through sporting and economic sanctions.
Soon after, Mandela visited Australia, thanking Prime Minister Bob Hawke for putting pressure on the apartheid regime in South Africa.
"If I think of all the proud moments in my career as prime minister, there's nothing that would beat Nelson Mandela walking into my office ... he took my hand and said, and he wasn't only talking about me, 'Bob, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here'," Hawke said.
Mandela and wife Winnie in Cape Town the day after his release from prison, 12/02/90. Picture: Ap Source: News Limited
Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser had two long talks with Mandela when he was in prison.
During his talks, the cricket buff asked Fraser if Don Bradman was still alive.
Years later, Mandela revealed that in his youth his only knowledge of Australia was through that cricket legend.
"People have expected his death for quite some time now," Mr Fraser said.
"But it is still an enormously sad occasion … he was the most wonderful person.
"I believe over the next days and weeks South Africa will recall what they know of Nelson Mandela and commit themselves to working even harder to creating a … better country."
Australian sportspeople loved Mandela, whose presence in the grandstand famously helped lift South Africa to victory in rugby's 1995 World Cup, which he presented on home turf in one of sport's lasting images.
Since 2000, Australia and South Africa compete for the Mandela Challenge Plate.
A host of Australian cricketers including ex-captain Steve Waugh have met the leader and rated him an inspiration.
In 1999, prime minister John Howard attended an investiture ceremony in Pretoria to mark Mandela's appointment as a Companion of the Order of Australia.
He received Australia's highest honour for his efforts to bring multiracial democracy to his nation and for his work to build relations between Australia and South Africa.
Mandela with Gareth Evans, former South Australian Premier Don Dunstan and Eddie Fundie during an Australia visit. Source: News Limited
Howard told him he was one of the great figures of the century.
"You are a person whose moral leadership, your moral depth, your political skill, your compassion, your capacity for forgiveness and reconciliation have given to the world an example that I don't think in our lifetime that we will see again.''
Mandela spoke of the impression made upon him by young Australian soldiers passing through Cape Town during World War II.
"The way they condemned racism and the way they moved amongst us ... made me feel like I ought to be like these men and fight for South Africa,'' he said.
"Those days have long passed but I still cherish the memory.''
In September 2000, Mandela made a 10-day visit to Australia when he received three honorary doctorates, addressed a "What Makes A Champion'' conference and attended an Olympic dinner.
He also addressed a huge crowd in Melbourne to mark World Reconciliation Day, and had talks with Jewish people in his efforts to help resolve the ongoing Middle East conflict.
At a fundraising luncheon for the Nelson Mandela Children's Foundation, he urged the Australian Government and its people to reconcile with Aborigines but baulked at saying the government should say sorry.
Mandela days after he was released from prison. Pic: Nigel Wright Source: Supplied
He said when majority rule was adopted in South Africa some of the former white minority government apologised but others did not.
"I am not qualified to speak about the position in other countries,'' Mandela said modestly.
Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek gave their tribute to Mr Mandela on behalf of the Opposition.
"Today we have lost a light of our world," the pair said in a joint statement.
"He achieved perhaps more than any other leader in his pursuit of peace, acceptance and justice."
The pair said Mandela was an "example to the world - we must live by that example".
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his country, and all who looked to him in hope for a better world," they said.
"We are better because of Mandela. May he rest in peace."
British Prime Minister David Cameron said "a great light had gone out'' following Mandela's death, revealing that flags would be flown at half-mast at his Downing Street office.
"Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero," a statement said.
"Across the country he loved they will be mourning a man who was the embodiment of grace,'' he added.
"Meeting him was one of the great honours of my life. My heart goes out to his family - and to all in South Africa and around the world whose lives were changed through his courage."
Mandela waves at the 2010 World Cup football final. Pic: Thomas Coex. Source: AFP
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