Death and state funeral of Nelson Mandela

The South African government announced a period of 10 days of national mourning ending with the state funeral on 15 December 2013.

[7] President Jacob Zuma ordered that all flags on government buildings be flown at half-mast for the duration of the mourning period.

[7] We call upon all our people to gather in halls, churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and in their homes for prayer services and meditation, reflecting on the life of Madiba and his contribution to our country and the world.The official memorial service was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 10 December 2013 commencing at 11:00 local time (UTC+2).

[9][10] More than 91 heads of state and government, at least 30 retired presidents, approximately 90 governmental representatives and delegates, leaders of 20 international organisations, and dozens of celebrities and businessman were expected to attend this service.

[12] In what was characterised as a national embarrassment, during the memorial service it became evident that the official sign language interpreter, Thamsanqa Jantjie, was a fake.

[14] Jantjie, who stood on the memorial stage alongside world leaders throughout the event, made meaningless hand gestures that did not reflect established signs.

He added that he suffers from violent tendencies and stated that he had been hospitalised in a mental health facility for 19 months, beginning around 2006.

[15][16] The same day, Deputy Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu admitted, "In the process, and in the speed of the event, a mistake happened."

However, she rejected the view that Jantjie was a fraud, stating, "we should not say that he is a fake interpreter because he does have a basic sign language translation qualification.

"[17] The South African news broadcaster eNCA alleged that between 1994 and 2003 Jantjie had been charged, but not sentenced, for various crimes ranging from rape and housebreaking to attempted murder and kidnapping.

According to the report he was sentenced to three years in prison for theft but other charges had been dropped as he had been judged mentally unfit to stand trial.

[9] The ceremony was held in a large tent in Qunu erected for the event and attended by about 4,500 people, including 8 heads of state and many foreign dignitaries.

[32] Shortly before the burial, Nelson Mandela was given a 21 gun salute and a missing man formation flyover by fighter jets.

Members of the public paying their respects outside Mandela's Houghton home.
South African flag flying half-mast outside Drakenstein Correctional Centre where Mandela was imprisoned from 1988 to his release in 1990.
The largest South African flag flying half-mast at the Donkin Reserve, Port Elizabeth .
US President Barack Obama delivering his speech at Mandela's state memorial service.
Members of the public queueing to view Mandela's body at the Union Buildings .
Qunu village in the Eastern Cape , where Mandela's funeral was held on 15 December 2013.
A crowd gathers at the Grand Parade in front of the Cape Town City Hall the day after Mandela's death. Mandela made his first public speech here after being released from prison in 1990 and following his death the area was designated as the city's primary public mourning space.