The body of South Africa’s anti-apartheid legend Nelson Mandela was today taken to a military hospital here as preparations for the state funeral of the peace icon began.
Mandela, South Africa’s liberation hero and the first democratically elected president, died early today at his home in Johannesburg after battling a protracted illness.
Mandela will lie in state at the seat of government, the Union Buildings, in the capital Pretoria.
The 95-year-old spent almost three months in hospital this year after being admitted to the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in June with a recurring lung infection. He was discharged in September and was receiving home-based medical care.
Zuma has ordered that all flags of the country fly at half-mast and remain that way until after the burial ceremony, the South African Government News Agency reported.
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.