Nelson Mandela's coffin arrives in his home village of Qunu ahead of funeral
A ceremonial military escort was cheered by crowds that lined the road as Mandela t-shirts were handed out
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The body of Nelson Mandela has arrived at his ancestral home village of Qunu in South Africa’s Eastern Cape ahead of his state funeral on Sunday.
The coffin was driven in a hearse from Mthatha airport, 700 km (450 miles) south of Johannesburg.
A ceremonial military escort was cheered by crowds that lined the road as Mandela t-shirts were handed out.
Soldiers in full regalia were stationed on foot on either side of the road from the airport in Mthatha.
“We got up this morning at 2 am and drove from Port Elizabeth — it's about seven hours — and we got here now. We're waiting on to show our last respects to Madiba,” said one bystander, Ebrahim Jeftha.
The anti-apartheid activist's body will be taken to the Mandela homestead, where rituals will be performed including wrapping his body in leopard skin as a mark of respect and to show he was the son of a clan chief.
Mandela wanted to spend his final months in his beloved rural village but instead was kept in a hospital in Pretoria, and then in his home in Johannesburg, where he had remained in critical condition until his death.
The funeral has been marred by a dispute in which the former archbishop Desmond Tutu said he was not invited – an apparent snub that the government denies.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments