Mandela memorial service: Live Report
(AFP)
–
9 minutes ago
Soweto
(South Africa) — 1135 GMT: Obama says Mandela had "a life like no
other" and compares him to Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
OBAMA CALLS MANDELA 'A GIANT OF HISTORY'
1132 GMT: Ear-splitting, prolonged ovation for President Barack Obama, the US's first black leader, as he stands up to speak.
OBAMA TAKING TO STAGE TO ADDRESS MEMORIAL
1127 GMT: Obama is walking towards the podium to address the crowd, TV pictures show.
1120
GMT: Adriaan Basson, South African author of the book "Zuma Exposed",
tweets: "This is hugely embarrassing. President Zuma booed again after
being introduced by Cyril Ramaphosa. Even FW (de Klerk) got a bigger
cheer."
1113 GMT: Ramaphosa again appeals for calm from the crowd
as Zuma's ex-wife, African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma, speaks.
1110 GMT: Crowd erupts into applause for
Mugabe of neighbouring Zimbabwe as he is introduced, again by stark
contrast with how the crowd is reacting to South Africa's own President
Zuma.
1105 GMT: As TV pictures show Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in the crowd, Obama is expected to speak soon.
1102
GMT: Those cheers for Obama were in stark contrast to the boos for
Zuma, who is sitting on the podium waiting to speak later in the event.
Will the booing continue to ring around the stadium when Zuma takes to his feet to speak later in the event?
Ramaphosa
was clearly trying to bring some order to proceedings by his
intervention a couple of minutes ago but such a big crowd will be hard
to control.
1057 GMT: UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon takes to the podium and pays tribute to "a mighty life" lived by Mandela.
1055 GMT: Extremely loud applause and cheers for Obama, who has just arrived in the stadium with wife Michelle.
Ramaphosa appeals for discipline in the audience's response.
1053
GMT: Mandela had 18 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, several
of whom are now taking the podium to offer their memories of him.
1049
GMT: AFP's Stephen Collinson, travelling with US President Obama, tells
us: "Obama's 30+ vehicle motorcade is rolling into the FNB stadium past
a few late arrivals to the memorial celebration."
1045 GMT: General Thanduxolo Mandela is now speaking on behalf of the family.
"Madiba was a great man but was humble in all things," he says.
He
adds that Mandela used his greatness "as a means to make all men and
women equal so that their lives could be lived to their fullest human
potential."
1033 GMT: Andrew Mlangeni, a friend of Mandela, fellow
Robben Island inmate and co-accused in the notorious Rivonia trial, is
now addressing the crowd.
"Madiba is looking down on us now and is
no doubt smiling as he watches his beloved countrymen and women
celebrate his life and legacy," he says.
1027 GMT: The inter-faith
prayers over for now, the crowd has joined in singing a joyful tribute
to the late president, with most dancing in their seats and many waving
flags.
1022 GMT: In Cape Town, there were clenched fists and cries
of "viva" as people watched the live proceedings opposite the city hall
where Mandela gave his first speech in February 1990 after walking out
of prison.
"For me, it's something personal to be here rather than
to sit at home," said John Williams, standing under a palm tree and
eating an ice-cream in the summer heat as he recalled South Africa's
troubled history.
Michelle Machelm, 47, who came from neighbouring
Somerset West to watch the day on giant screens, said it was due to
Mandela that the country was free.
"Everybody thought when he came
out he was just going to take revenge. But he surprised everybody with
the way he did it," she said.
1014 GMT: As the ceremony gets under
way around an hour late in Soweto, US President Barack Obama is only
just leaving his hotel to head to the event.
1012 GMT: Ramaphosa hands over to South African faith leaders, with the country's chief rabbi addressing the crowd first.
1009 GMT: "He was our teacher and our mentor and he never gave up on us for our failures," Ramaphosa says.
"His long walk is over but ours is just beginning."
1006 GMT: Ramaphosa says the heavy rain is a good omen for Mandela.
"When
it rains when you are buried, it means your gods are welcoming you and
the gates of heaven are most probably open as well."
1002 GMT: The
various VIPs attending the ceremony are now being announced by ANC
vice-president Cyril Ramaphosa, who will be helping to lead the
ceremony.
Some boos for Zuma, who is facing anger over multimillion dollar taxpayer-funded refurbishments at his home.
1000 GMT: Many around the stadium are standing and singing along, some with fists in the air.
"Long live" rings around the stadium as the crowds hail Mandela's legacy.
CROWD SINGS NATIONAL ANTHEM, MARKING START OF MEMORIAL
0952
GMT: South African President Jacob Zuma and his entourage enters the
stadium. UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon is already in the stadium.
0945
GMT: AFP's Charlotte Plantive tells us Mandela's widow Graca Machel and
ex-wife Winnie have met at the stadium and shared a long hug, both in
black mourning clothes.
0943 GMT: ANC secretary general Gwede
Mantashe has put his finger on the awkward dynamic between some of the
world leaders in the stadium today.
"Obama and Cuba: I think it will be quite exciting," he said.
This
may be the first time US President Barack Obama and Cuban President
Raul Castro, whose countries are historic Cold War-era foes, have found
themselves in the same place.
0938 GMT: Nelson Mandela's former
wife Winnie, from whom he separated in 1992 after his release from
prison, has arrived to loud cheers.
Although a controversial figure, Winnie visited her ex-husband regularly when ill and often updated the media on his condition.
"Nobody
knows him better than I do and it is extremely painful to see him going
through what he's going through now," she told Britain's ITV television
before he died. "But it is God's wish."
0932 GMT: Some of the VIP guests are now being announced to the crowd in the stadium.
Big cheer for Raul Castro, President of Cuba, as he is presented -- also for members of the Mandela family.
0924 GMT: Supermodel Naomi Campbell is among those reportedly present to remember Mandela today.
When he died, she described him as "my mentor, my honorary grandfather, my Tata."
"Nelson
Mandela has stood as a figure of strength, hope, freedom, selflessness
and love, and I join everyone across the world in mourning his passing,"
she said.
"Since meeting him in 1993, he's guided me and gave me a
reason for being in the tough times of my life. He changed my
perception of the world."
0916 GMT: With the rain pouring down, the start of the memorial service is running late.
Still
plenty of empty seats in the stadium and people eager to celebrate
Mandela's life arriving, many sporting Mandela T-shirts or wrapped in
South African flags.
0912 GMT: Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the
last apartheid-era president FW de Klerk, who was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize with Mandela, have arrived.
0909 GMT: The memorial
event is part of an extended state funeral that will culminate in
Mandela's burial on Sunday in the rural village of Qunu where he spent
his early childhood.
Ahead of the burial in Qunu, Mandela's body
will lie in state for three days from Wednesday in the amphitheatre of
the Union Buildings in Pretoria where he was sworn in as president in
1994.
Each morning, his coffin will be borne through the streets
of the capital in a funeral cortege, to give as many people as possible
the chance to pay their final respects.
0902 GMT: Let's head to
Cape Town for a moment now, where Mandela's former jailers and fellow
prisoners have got together over the water from Robben Island, his
former prison.
Lorraine Steenkamp, a black South African, said
visiting the spot was "the greatest gift", just days before he was to be
laid to rest.
"If it wasn't for Nelson Mandela fighting for our
freedom, I wouldn't have married my husband or had these two beautiful
kids. He's an Afrikaner."
0857 GMT: A marching band emerges into
the stadium to roars and chants from the crowd, which is chanting and
singing in a party atmosphere.
0852 GMT: Francois Pienaar, the
South Africa rugby captain of the side which won the 1995 World Cup on
home soil, receiving the trophy from Mandela, has been speaking to
journalists.
"The legacy of Mr Mandela is in the hands of the
young ones," he said, encouraging young people to vote in the key
general election next year.
The story of Pienaar and the rest of
the Springboks' extraordinary relationship with Mandela is told in the
Hollywood film "Invictus" featuring Matt Damon as the rugby star.
0846
GMT: U2's Bono, South African-born actress Charlize Theron and former
British prime minister Tony Blair are among those arriving at the
stadium, TV pictures show.
0843 GMT: Today is actually the 20th
anniversary of the date Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo
with FW de Klerk, the late leader's official Twitter account reminds us.
0840 GMT: The atmosphere here is clearly one of joyous celebration of Mandela's life, despite his death.
British Prime Minister David Cameron tells the BBC: "We were told it was appropriate to wear a black tie.
"But
when you come and your hear this great noise and this great atmosphere
of celebration, it is clear that people here in South Africa want to,
yes, say goodbye to this great man, yes commemorate what he did but also
celebrate his life and celebrate his legacy, and I think that is
right."
0836 GMT: Mandela's wife Graca Machel makes her first public appearance since his death, arriving at the stadium.
She is dressed in a black turban and furred coat over a long black dress.
Two women on either side of her link their arms with hers.
0833 GMT: Just under half an hour to go now until the official memorial service for Mandela is due to begin.
0831 GMT: The female singers are wearing white and the male singers white.
They are all from the gospel choir "Joyous Celebration" from Kwazulu-Natal.
0825 GMT: AFP's Claudine Renaud tells us that the big screens in the stadium have started to show the arrival of the VIPs.
The choir is singing: "Siyabonga Mandela, oooh siyabonga Mandela" which means "thank you Mandela" in Zulu.
0819
GMT: Among the high-profile guests today include Obama and three of his
predecessors -- Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter -- plus
French President Francois Hollande, British PM David Cameron, Nigerian
President Goodluck Jonathan and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Celebrities include singers Bono and Peter Gabriel plus US talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
0803
GMT: Cyrill, from Cameroon, a business owner who lives in Johannesburg,
and his wife Evelyn from Ivory Coast say being here is "unique, a once
in a lifetime experience. We don't understand the words of the songs but
we connect. It is very joyful and hopeful.
"We are African and in
our culture when someone dies very old, it's a blessing and you have to
give thanks and praise his life and accomplishments."
0759 GMT: Interviewed in the stadium by South African TV, David Cameron recalls meeting Mandela in South Africa in 2006.
"I was particularly impressed by his grace and sense of forgiveness to all those who had done him wrong," Cameron says.
0756
GMT: Mandela's face is everywhere, on the large screens in the stadium,
newspaper headline boards, t-shirts, hats, and blankets sported by the
crowd, many of whom have taken shelter from the rain and are chanting
and marching in the stadium's inner corridor.
0750 GMT: The
Israeli Ambassador to South Africa Dov Segev-Steinberg was asked Tuesday
morning why the heads of state and governement are not coming to the
ceremony and if they were snubbing it because Palestinian president
Mahmoud Abbas is attending.
"No," he told journalists. "The
speaker of Parliament (Yuli Edelstein) and a Parliament delegation land
in 20 minutes. The speaker of Parliament was also a prisoner of
conscience in the USSR (former Soviet Union) and knew Mr. Mandela."
0745
GMT: "Am here to celebrate the life of Mandela. Yes he a liberator, but
economically the people here are not liberated. You go to a restaurant
you see the whitemen dining and the blacks serving," says Tapiwa
Munyawiri, 24, a hospitality management student at Vaal University of
Technology.
0742 GMT: The crowd in the stadium has now swollen to about 20,000.
Reports say British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived earlier at the stadium and was seen getting into a lift.
0738
GMT: My colleague Stephen Collinson reports that US President Barack
Obama is now freshening up at his hotel before heading out to the
stadium.
One woman driver who tried to skip into his motorcade to
avoid traffic jams was flagged down by a furious cop. "Do that again and
you will be killed!" he shouted.
0732 GMT: Enterprising hawkers
are selling ANC-print wrap-arounds and caps, which people are snatching
up for protection against the rain, as the stadium fills with a steady,
though slow, stream of newcomers.
0729 GMT: Among the blanket of
South African flags in the crowd are a few from Zimbabwe, Ghana and
other African nations, a testament to Mandela's importance across the
continent.
0728 GMT: A choir of around 50 people have come
onstage, some bundled up in warm clothes, with others in dinner jackets
but all managing to still look elegant and upbeat in the rain.
0720
GMT: The ceremony, which is due to formally start soon, will echo the
wave of loving admiration which resonated worldwide at news of Mandela's
death at his home in Johannesburg on Thursday.
On the eve of the
memorial Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu described Mandela as a "magician"
who conjured a united nation out of a country teetering on the brink of
civil war.
"Everybody was saying we would go up in flames," he said.
"He really was like a magician with a magic wand, turning us into this glorious, multi-coloured rainbow people."
0715
GMT: The presidents of the United States and Cuba are among those who
will share the memorial stage, while four of Mandela's grandchildren
will speak, although neither his widow, Graca Machel, nor his ex-wife
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela are listed on the programme.
0710 GMT:
In Johannesburg earlier today, thousands of people were boarding free
trains, mixing excitedly together on the platform and in the
compartments -- men and women of all ages and races.
"I am going
to the memorial to be closer to the national mood, to come out of my
bubble," explained white Afrikaans speaker Marcel Boezaart, 26.
0705
GMT: My colleague Christophe Beaudufe reports that the crowds are being
entertained by a Gospel group singing the well-known Zulu hymn 'O'
Msinidisi', meaning 'Saviour.'
Many of the crowd are singing along.
WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT on the memorial service for unifying global icon Nelson Mandela.
Despite a light drizzle huge crowds of grieving South Africans have converged on Soweto's World Cup stadium.
Up
to five hours before it was due to start people wrapped in South
African flags or yellow-green coloured shawls printed with the slogan
"Mandela Forever," danced and jogged towards the entrance, hoping for
one of the first-comer tickets, some singing in Zulu: "Mandela is not
sleeping, just kneeling."
Close to 100 world leaders and 80,000
South Africans will gather at the stadium to bid farewell to a man whose
life story earned uncommon universal respect.
The event is part
of an extended state funeral that will culminate in Mandela's burial on
Sunday in the rural village of Qunu where he spent his early childhood.
