The late freedom fighter Nelson Mandela has finally been laid to rest in his childhood village of Qunu on Sunday, December 15, 2013.
The first black South African president and Apartheid hero’s burial follows 10 days of national mourning after Madiba passed away on December 5, 2013 from a recurring lung infection and declining health.
About 4,500 people gathered to witness the burial, including Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, his ex-wife, Winnie Mandela who sat next to her, Oprah Winfrey, Prince Charles and business mogul Richard Branson.
‘Today marks the end of an
extraordinary journey that began 95 years ago. It is the end of 95
glorious years of a freedom fighter … a beacon of hope to all those
fighting for a just and equitable world order’, South African President Jacob Zuma said during the ceremony.
Mandela’s body had arrived on Saturday
December 14, 2013 in the tiny village located in the Eastern Cape
Province, where he grew up.
Before then, Madiba’s body lay in state for three days in Pretoria.
Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for
defying the racist apartheid government that led South Africa for
decades. He emerged from prison in 1990 and became South Africa’s first
black president four years later, all the while promoting forgiveness
and reconciliation.
Additional reports from CNN.com
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