Death and state funeral of Nelson Mandela

On 5 December 2013, Nelson Mandela, the first president of South Africa to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, as well as the country's first black head of state, died at the age of 95 after a prolonged respiratory infection. He died at around 20:50 local time (UTC+2) at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, surrounded by family. His death was announced by President Jacob Zuma on national television at 23:45. Reactions from governments, international organisations, and notable individuals, gained worldwide media coverage.
South Africa observed a national mourning period of 10 days. During this time numerous memorial services were conducted across the country. The official memorial service was held at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, on 10 December where the 95,000-seat stadium was two-thirds full because of the cold, rain, and transport challenges. Mandela's body lay in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria from 11 to 13 December. A state funeral was held on 15 December in Qunu in the Eastern Cape, where his body was buried.
The South African government announced a period of 10 days of national mourning ending with the state funeral on 15 December 2013. President Jacob Zuma ordered that all flags on government buildings be flown at half-mast for the duration of the mourning period.
On 9 December the government confirmed that at least 91 foreign heads of state and government and 15 former leaders would travel to South Africa to attend funeral events. African heads of state and government confirmed to be attending included the Prime Minister of Lesotho, the President of Mozambique, the President of Namibia, the President of Niger, the President of Nigeria, the Prime Minister of Swaziland, the President of Tanzania, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, the President of Namibia, the President of Tunisia, the President of Uganda, the President of Zimbabwe, and the President of Zambia. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma attended in her capacity as Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Other notable guests included:
The South African government declared Sunday, 8 December 2013 to be observed as a national day of prayer and reflection.
The official memorial service was held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 10 December 2013 commencing at 11:00 local time (UTC+2). 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. In total, about 170 countries were represented in the event.
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. DeafSA, a South African association for the deaf, stated that Jantjie had made a "mockery of South African sign language" and that the "deaf community was in outrage". Jantjie, who stood on the memorial stage alongside world leaders throughout the event, made meaningless hand gestures that did not reflect established signs. How Jantjie had obtained the job and received security clearance raised questions about bureaucratic mismanagement.
On 12 December, Jantjie apologised if he had offended anyone, explaining that his performance was impaired due to a hallucination brought on by his schizophrenia. 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. Nonetheless, he maintained that he performed well, calling himself "a champion of sign language".
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. He started off very well and got tired in the process ... [H]e has interpreted to deaf people in court before and is able to communicate with his deaf friends very well. It's just that (on that day) he did not sign what was expected of him." 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.
South African President Jacob Zuma was booed and jeered by some in the crowd, though other sections cheered him. The booing faded when Zuma addressed the crowd. The negative reaction reportedly stemmed from public anger over corruption scandals that had tainted Zuma and his government. The ANC leadership at the time was viewed as not living up to Mandela's legacy.
United States President Barack Obama shook hands with Cuban leader Raúl Castro, the first such encounter between sitting U.S. and Cuban heads of government since Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro shook hands at the U.N. in 2000. The gesture prompted criticism from Republican politicians in Washington. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban-American opponent of the Castro government, said: "Sometimes a handshake is just a handshake, but when the leader of the free world shakes the bloody hand of a ruthless dictator like Raul Castro, it becomes a propaganda coup for the tyrant." Senator John McCain compared the Obama–Castro handshake to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's handshake with Adolf Hitler when the two were in the process of negotiating the Munich Agreement in 1938 saying, "Neville Chamberlain shook hands with Hitler. It gives Raul some propaganda to continue to prop up his dictatorial, brutal regime, that's all". The Cuban government welcomed the gesture. The White House said it had been unplanned.
Along with Obama, Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron faced criticism on social media that they had behaved inappropriately after posing for a "selfie" which was taken using Thorning-Schmidt's mobile phone. Defending her actions, Thorning-Schmidt said, "There were lots of pictures taken that day, and I just thought it was a bit fun. Maybe it also shows that when we meet heads of state and government, we too are just people who have fun." Cameron said he was being polite when Thorning-Schmidt asked him to take part in the picture.
Mandela's body lay in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria from 11 to 13 December 2013. Approximately 100,000 mourners viewed Mandela's body over the three days. The crowds grew larger each day and thousands who queued on the final day could not be accommodated and were turned away. Nelson Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, remained with his grandfather's body for all three days, in accordance with AbaThembu tradition, which requires an adult male family member to remain with the body until burial.
The state funeral was held on 15 December 2013 in Qunu in the Eastern Cape. 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. The ceremony was televised on South African television up until the lowering of Mandela's casket and burial, when the filming and broadcast was stopped at the advance request of the Mandela family. The ceremony was shown on big screens set up in public viewing spaces around the area. The burial part of the funeral programme was attended by 450 selected people, including relatives and chosen dignitaries. Shortly before the burial, Nelson Mandela was given a 21 gun salute and a missing man formation flyover by fighter jets.
The Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille, announced that the city would host an interfaith service on the Grand Parade, which has been designated as Cape Town's primary public mourning space, on Sunday, 8 December 2013. A public night vigil was held there on the evening before Mandela's funeral. Cape Town also hosted a free tribute concert at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday, 11 December 2013.
A memorial service in honour of Mandela was held on 11 December 2013 in Abu Dhabi.
A thanksgiving service was held at Westminster Abbey in March 2014, and a memorial stone was laid in the Abbey on the centenary of his birth in 2018.
A memorial service in honour of Mandela was held on 11 December 2013 at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
The last will and testament of Mandela was read on 3 February 2014. At the time of the reading, his estate was worth an estimated 46 million Rand. The will was written in 2004 and was last amended in 2008.
In the will, Mandela left his estate to Machel, family members, staff, schools and the ANC.