Family members, world leaders, celebrities and royalty all attended Nelson Mandela’s funeral to say their last goodbyes. The emotional funeral took place in Mandela’s childhood town of Qunu, South Africa. His coffin sat in front of a crowd of 4,500 people and 95 candles burned on a dais to honor his 95 years of life. To read more, click below.
Some of the well known faces to attend Mandela’s funeral included: Prince Charles of Britain, Oprah Winfrey, and Rev. Jesse Jackson. The funeral had very tight security, with the South African army monitoring the entire area. Cyril Ramaphosa (the African National Congress leader), Ahman Kathrada (Fellow political prisoner), and Nandi Mandela (Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter) spoke at the funeral. Hundreds of people gathered to watch a live stream on a giant screen next to the Mandela Museum in Qunu. As the service ended, Zulu warriors marched down the green hill overlooking the funeral site and chanted praise for Mandela. After the service had ended, officials took Mandela’s coffin to a tent 200 yards away and covered the area in black cloth in an effort to privately bury one of the world’s greatest leaders.
R.I.P. Nelson Mandela
