A chance to pay your last respects
Funeral arrangements: Sunday December 15
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela will be laid to rest during an official state funeral in Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Sunday.
A memorial service is scheduled to be held at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
His remains will lie in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and the South African flag will fly at half-mast at all government buildings throughout this period.
Mourners will be able to view the body and pay their final respects at the Union Buildings.
South Africa’s major cities will host separate memorial services for public mourning at various times this week.
In addition, condolence books will be sent to municipalities to allow mourners to record their tributes, memories and emotions. Online facilities are also being created for this purpose.
Official memorial service: Tuesday December 10
South Africans will be able to attend this event to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s life along with VIPs and VVIPs.
The event is open to the public and the media. The time of the service will be announced later.
About 80 000 people will be able to attend the memorial service on a first come, first served basis.
Selected stadiums in the nine provinces will project the live broadcast of the memorial. More information will be made available in due course.
Lying in state
Nelson Mandela’s remains will lie in state at the Union Buildings for three days from Wednesday until Friday so the public can pay it final respects.
Mourners will be allowed to file past Mandela’s remains.
No photography or video footage will be allowed during this time.
The security forces will control access to the Union Buildings and facilitate the filepast. They will also ensure that people cannot file past more than once.
The roads immediately around the Union Buildings will be closed.
A park and ride system will be available for mourners.
Members of the public will park at designated points to be announced and be transported to the Union Buildings by shuttle. Return shuttles will be in place to transport people who have completed filing past the body.
Transporting Mandela’s remains to his final resting place
Mandela’s remains will be flown from Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria to Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Saturday.
The South African National Defence Force will take charge of this leg of the state funeral.
A military guard of honour will welcome Mandela’ s remains, and the casket will be draped in the national flag.
At Mthatha Airport, the SANDF will perform the ceremonial removal of the remains from the aircraft.
The coffin will be placed on a gun carriage and then transported to a hearse.
An SANDF band will play the national anthem while the guard of honour presents arms and salutes.
The remains will thereafter be transported to the family home in Qunu.
The state funeral service at Qunu
The funeral service at Qunu will conclude the 10-day state funeral period.
The Mandela family, the president and cabinet, visiting heads of state and other dignitaries will be in attendance.
Once concluded, the SANDF will again be charged with draping the coffin.
A national salute will be performed and the ceremony will be concluded with the playing of the national anthem.
Memorial services
A range of services has been scheduled to be held in a number of South African cities during this period of national mourning.
Check with your local council for details.