UpdateSouth Africa unites for state funeral of Nelson Mandela
The funeral of Nelson Mandela is under way in the family compound of the anti-apartheid leader in Qunu, a rural village in Eastern Cape province. The send-off in the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape has drawn 4,500 guests, from relatives and South African leaders to Britain’s Prince Charles, American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
The funeral of Nelson Mandela is under way in the family compound of the anti-apartheid leader in Qunu, a rural village in Eastern Cape province.
The send-off in the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape has drawn 4,500 guests, from relatives and South African leaders to Britain’s Prince Charles, American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
Video: Nelson Mandela's funeral, live
Fellow anti-apartheid veteran Archbishop Desmond Tutu was also among those arriving shortly after dawn at a vast, domed tent erected in a field near Mandela’s home, having resolved a last-minute mix-up over his invitation.
Other notable guests included senior South African officials, veterans of the fight against white rule including anti-apartheid activist and close friend of Mandela Ahmed Kathrada, and foreign diplomats, including US Ambassador Patrick Gaspard. Former Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Norway's former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and entrepreneur Richard Branson were also there.