“There is no sadness here. There is celebration. He is a giant,” said Nomhlahla Donry, 57, whose husband served time with the revered leader.
Meanwhile messages of goodwill flooded in from overseas.
“He is a personal hero,” US President Barack Obama said in Senegal, the first leg of a trip of an African tour that will see him land in Pretoria on Friday.
“I think he is a hero for the world, and if and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages.”
The US president recalled how Mandela had inspired him to take up political activity, when he campaigned for the anti-apartheid movement as a student in the late 1970s.
UN leader Ban Ki-moon said the whole world was praying for “one of the giants of the 20th century”.
“I know our thoughts and prayers are with Nelson Mandela, his family and loved ones, all South Africans and people across the world who have been inspired by his remarkable life and example,” Ban said.
Mandela – whose 95th birthday is on July 18 – has been hospitalised four times since December, mostly for a stubborn lung infection.
About The Author
