Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2013-12-05

Former President Nelson Mandela, the revered statesman who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead South Africa out of decades of apartheid, has died at the age of 95, South African President Jacob Zuma announced late Thursday.

“Fellow South Africans, our beloved Nelson Rohlihlahla Mandela, the founding president of our democratic nation, has departed,” said Zuma.

Zuma said Mandela had passed on at about 8:50pm and was at peace.

"He is now resting. He is now at peace," Zuma said. "Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father. What made Nelson Mandela great is precisely what made him human. We saw in him, what we seek in ourselves.”
 
Dressed in sombre black clothes, an emotional and teary eyed Zuma said Mandela would be accorded a state funeral and flags would be at half-mast until after the funeral.

"Let us conduct ourselves with the dignity and respect that Madiba personified, Zuma said.

Zuma called on South Africans to “recall the values for which Madiba fought.”

There are reports the Mandela’s body will be moved to a mortuary in Pretoria and the funeral is likely to take place next Saturday.

The anti-apartheid icon was cared for at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, since his release from hospital on September 1 this year. He was admitted on June 8 with a recurring lung infection.

The Nobel peace prize laureate has suffered lung ailments before.

Early in March, he was admitted to a Pretoria hospital for a scheduled check-up and was discharged the following day.

In December last year, Mandela underwent an operation to remove gallstones and treat the recurring lung infection.

He was discharged after an 18-day stay and placed under home-based high care at his Houghton home.

In January, the Presidency said Mandela had made a full recovery from the surgery and continued to improve.

In February last year, he was admitted to hospital for a stomach ailment.

At the time, the Presidency said Mandela underwent a diagnostic procedure to investigate the cause of a long-standing abdominal complaint.

In January 2011, Mandela was taken to Milpark Hospital for routine tests relating to respiratory problems.

Mandela’s last major public appearance was in July 2010 at the final of the Fifa World Cup at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.

Since then, he had spent his time between Johannesburg and his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape.

(Twitter: @Faizie143 )