NELSPRUIT – Global icon Nelson Mandela’s funeral will take place up to 12 days after his passing on Thursday night. This could be due to the enormous organisational difficulties involved.
There is apparently already detailed plans of the arrangements that will follow the death of our former leader.
These allegedly include a massive memorial service in the 94,000 seat football stadium which hosted the 2010 World Cup Final. It is as yet unsure if Madiba will be buried exactly 10 days from now as per the government’s original plan.
Other proposed plans include Mandela’s body to be moved to a military hospital on the outskirts of Pretoria. Books of condolences will be opened at the Union Buildings in Pretoria and other cities. His body will be then allegedly left to lie in State for three days allowing members of the public to file past.
He will then be buried in his home village in Qunu before 450 dignitaries and relatives.
One of the original plans was apparently a strict ten-day affair with the memorial service on day 5 and the funeral service on day 10.
Each province will have their own memorial service but the main one will be in ‘Soccer City’ in Johannesburg.
President Jacob Zuma said Mandela would have a state funeral and that flags would fly half-mast from December 6 until after the funeral.
Mandela grew up in Qunu and will be laid to rest there. He will be buried alongside generations of his family at this, his final resting place.The world will come of course and so will thousands of ordinary people from the Eastern Cape. They will be welcomed by the people of the village who are opening their houses to the mourners.
