Nelson Mandela buried at ancestral village

South Africa’s anti-apartheid leader and former president, Nelson Mandela, has been buried at his childhood village after a state funeral.

Mandela’s body was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Eastern Cape on Sunday.

His burial in the village of Qunu ended ten days of memorial ceremonies that also received over a hundred world leaders.

Around 4,500 invited guests, including foreign dignitaries, attended Mandela’s state funeral, but the public was shut out of the interment itself, with his family insisting it be a private affair.

South African President Jacob Zuma told the larger funeral service that his country had to take his legacy forward.

“We have to take the legacy forward,” said Zuma during an address to Mandela’s state funeral, adding, “One thing we can assure you of today Tata (father), as you take your final steps, is that South Africa will continue to rise.”
“We pledge today to continue promoting non-racialism and tolerance in our country and to build a South Africa that truly belongs to all. You were indeed an extraordinary human being. You will remain our guiding light, illuminating the path as we continue the long journey to build the South Africa of your dreams,” he noted

Although Mandela had been critically ill for months, the announcement of his death came as a shock to South Africans and the rest of the world.

The anti-apartheid leader led South Africa’s transition from white minority rule in the 1990s after nearly three decades in prison and was one of the towering political figures of the 20th century.

He served as the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election.