Mandela laid to rest in home village

(CNS): Following more than a week of mourning marking the death of the anti-apartheid leader, former South African president and much loved international icon, Nelson Mandela, he was laid to rest in his home village on Sunday near Qunu, in Eastern Cape Province. A 21-gun salute and full honour guard escorted his coffin through the rolling hills of his rural homeland. Along with the African leaders who spoke during theservice, mourners came from all over the world, including celebrities and international leaders. Mandela’s granddaughter, Nandi Mandela, had the last message for the family’s patriarch, known to all by his clan name, Madiba, when she said in Xhosa, “Go well Madiba. Go well to the land of your ancestors. You have run your race.”

Mandela died surrounded my family and friends at his Johannesburg home on 5 December at the age of 95 after suffering for some time with a recurring lung infection.