Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid revolutionary, has been laid rest (301 hits)
Thousands of mourners gathered to say goodbye to Nelson Mandela today at a funeral in his beloved boyhood village, Qunu, after 10 days of memorials and celebrations. He was laid to rest at a gravesite overlooking the rural home he loved so much, marking the end of an exceptional journey for the prisoner turned president who transformed South Africa. His burial followed a funeral service attended by about 4,500 people, including family, dignitaries and celebrities.
The funeral and burial were the final chapters of 10 days of national mourning for a man whose fame transcended borders. "You symbolize today and always will ... qualities of forgiveness and reconciliation," said a tearful Ahmed Kathrada, a close friend who served time in prison with Mandela for defying the apartheid government. "I've lost a brother. My life is in a void, and I don't know who to turn to."
