South Africa buries greatest son Nelson Mandela

December 15, 2013 13:49

South Africa held a state funeral for Nelson Mandela on Sunday, closing one chapter in its tortured history and opening another in which the multi-racial democracy he founded will have to discover if it can thrive without its central pillar.

The Nobel peace laureate, who was held in apartheid prisons for 27 years before emerging to preach forgiveness and reconciliation, was honoured with ceremonies that mixed military pomp with the traditional rites of his Xhosa abaThembu clan.

The funeral drew 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 person who is lying here is South Africa's greatest son," Cyril Ramaphosa, deputy leader of South Africa's ruling ANC party who was acting as one of the masters of ceremonies, said as the service got under way.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

India can speak...: US on Australian journalist's visa row

The row was erupted after Australian journalist Avani Dias claimed she was forced to leave India.

So That's Why Sharvari, Vaani Are Looking So Pretty

Are these B-Town's most fashionable floral moments?

Control the controllables: Patidar's mantra for success against SRH

Rajat Patidar struck a quickfire half-century to set up Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a 35-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday.

2nd phase of LS poll underway amid heat wave concerns

The IMD has warned of heatwave to severe heatwave conditions in parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh during the next five days.

'Modi's Speech Is A Response To Congress Obsession With Vote Bank Politics'

'You want to distort the very fabric of Indian society because you are obsessed with vote bank politics.'