The BBC reports that tens of thousands of South Africans have joined dozens of world leaders for the national memorial service for former President Nelson Mandela.
The service is being held in front of a vociferous crowd in the FNB stadium in Johannesburg.
US President Barack Obama said Mr Mandela was a “giant of history”, describing him as the last great liberator of the 20th Century.
The former South African president died last Thursday, aged 95.
The country is observing a series of commemorations leading up to the funeral on Sunday.
Newswire got the Confirmation of foreign Heads of State and Government attending activities relating to Former President Mandela’s passing. See list below
The South African Government can confirm that the following Heads of State and Government and their representatives, as well as royalty, are travelling to South Africa to join the people of South Africa in bidding a final farewell to the late Former President Nelson Mandela:
| Afghanistan, His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President | Mozambique, President of Mozambique, HE Armando Emilio Guebuza |
| Algeria, His Excellency Mr Abdelkader Bensalah, Speaker of the Council of the Nation (Senate) – rank above the Prime Minister | Namibia, His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President |
| Angola, His Excellency Mr Manuel Vicente, Vice President | Niger, His Excellency Issoufou Mahamdou, President |
| Argentina, Mr Amado Boudou, Acting President of Argentina | New Zealand, Right Hon John Key, Prime Minister |
| Australia, His Excellency Mr Tony Abbott, MP, Prime Minister | Nigeria, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, President |
| Bahamas, Right Honourable Perry Christie, Prime Minister | Niger, His Excellency Mahamadou, President of Niger |
| Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr Md. Abdul Hamid MD ABDUL, President | Norway, His Royal Highness Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway |
| Belgium, His Royal Highness King Philippe | Pakistan, His Excellency Mr Mamnoon Hussain, President |
| Benin, His Excellency Boni Yayi, President | Palestinian State, His Excellency Mahmoud Abbas, President |
| Botswana, His Excellency Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President | Portugal, His Excellency, Anibal Cavaco Silva, President |
| Brazil, Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff, President | Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince |
| Burundi, His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President | Saharawi Republic, His Excellency Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz, President |
| Canada, His Excellency Stephen Harper, Prime Minister | Senegal, His Excellency Macky Sall, President |
| CHAD, His Excellency Mr Idriss Deby Itno, President | Serbia, His Excellency Tomislav Nikolic, President |
| China, His Excellency Li Yuanchao, Vice President, | Seychelles, His Excellency Mr James Alix MICHEL |
| COMORES, His Excellency Dr Ikiliou Dhoinine, President | Spain, His Royal Highness Felipe de Borbon, The Prince of Asturias |
| Congo (Republic of the Congo ), His Excellency Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President | Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President |
| Sudan, His Excellency Bakri Hassan Salih, Vice President | |
| Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), His Excellency Joseph Kabila, President | Suriname, His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President |
| Cote d Ivoire, His Excellency President Allassane Ouattara, President | Slovenia, His Excellency Pahor, President |
| Croatia, His Excellency Josipovic Ivo, President | South Sudan, His Excellency General Salva Kir Mayardit, President |
| Cuba, His Excellency Raul Castro Ruz, President | Sweden,His Excellency Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria. |
| Denmark, His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Federick | Switzerland, His Excellency Mr Ulrich Maurer, President |
| Djibouti, His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President | Swaziland, His Excellency Dr Sibusiso Dlamini, Prime Minister |
| Ethiopia, His Excellency Ato Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister | Suriname, His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President |
| Equatorial Guinea, His Excellency Mr Obiang Mbasogo, President | Tanzania, His Excellency Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President |
| France, His Excellency, Francois Hollande, President | Timor-Leste, His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana, Prime Minister |
| Finland, His Excellency Sauli Niinisto, President | Tunisia, His Excellency Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, President |
| Gabon, His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba, President | Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister |
| The Gambia, His Excellency Prof Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President Sheikh | Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kagota Museveni, President |
| Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President | United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Sheikh Nayahan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture – Special Envoy of the Emir |
| Germany, His Excellency Joachim Gauck, President | United Kingdom, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron |
| United States of America, His Excellency Barack Obama, President | |
| Guyana, His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President | Venezuela, His Excellency Nicolas Maduro Moros, President |
| Guinea, His Excellency Prof Alpha Conde, President | Zimbabwe, His Excellency Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President |
| India, His Excellency Pranab Mukherjee, President | Zambia His Excellency Michael Sata, President |
| Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins, President | Arab States League, His Excellency Amb Samir Hosny, Minister |
| Italy, His Excellency Enrico Letta, Prime Minister | African Union Commission, Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson |
| Japan, His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Naruhito | Commonwealth, His Excellency, Mr Kamalesh Sharma |
| Jamaica, Her Excellency, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister | European Council, His Excellency Mr Herman van Rompuy, President |
| Jordan, Her Royal Highness, Queen Rania Al Abdullah and His Excellency Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Ensour | Mexico, His Excellency Enrique Pena Nieto President of Mexico |
| Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President | Mauritius, His Excellency Dr the Honourable Navinchandra, Prime Minister |
| Korea (South), His Excellency Hongwon Chung, Prime Minister | Mauritania, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President |
| Lebanon, His Excellency Mr Najib Mikati, Prime Minister | Malawi, Her Excellency Joyce Banda, President |
| Lesotho, His Excellency, T Thabane, Prime Minister | Grand Duchy of LUXEMBOURG, His Royal Highness Henry of Luxembourg, The Grand Duke |
| Liberia, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President |
Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said: “Former President Mandela was an international icon and a symbol of hope for the oppressed and marginalised people across the globe. He will always be remembered worldwide for his values and dedication to the service of humanity in the fields of conflict resolution, reconciliation, the promotion and protection of the rights of children, gender equality and the uplifting of the poor.”
At the initiative of South African Government and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the United Nations General Assembly, in 2010, proclaimed 18 July, the birthday of Former President Mandela, as “Nelson Mandela International Day”, to be observed each year.
Since 2010, millions of people from around the world have annually celebrated Madiba’s birthday by dedicating their time in community service – their actions inspired by the work of this iconic South African leader.
