Over 100 World leaders, sitting and former, and their Deputies are to grace the tribute function in honor of the fallen Anti-apartheid hero and former South African President Nelson Mandela.
The leaders and top World Celebrities started making their way to South Africa on Monday to pay their last respects at a memorial service and state funeral to be held in the South African.
The service has been billed as the biggest funeral in history.
More than 90,000 mourners are expected to attend Tuesday’s memorial service to be held at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.
The last time Mandela appeared at this stadium was when South Africa was officially launching the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, one of his greatly treasured achievements for South Africa.
United States President Barack Obama left for Johannesburg on Monday, aboard Air force One, accompanied by his wife Michelle Obama, former presidents George W. Bush and his wife Laura, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
UN Secretary General will also grace the funeral service.
Security is beefed up across South Africa ahead of this event, anticipated to be the biggest event in South Africa to attract key World leaders and Presidents.
Mandela died on Thursday at his home in Johannesburg, surrounded by his family, at the age of 95. He had been sick for about 3 months.
Some of those confirmed for the event are;
The leaders and top World Celebrities started making their way to South Africa on Monday to pay their last respects at a memorial service and state funeral to be held in the South African.
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| President Obama and First Lady board the plane to South Africa. |
The service has been billed as the biggest funeral in history.
More than 90,000 mourners are expected to attend Tuesday’s memorial service to be held at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.
The last time Mandela appeared at this stadium was when South Africa was officially launching the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, one of his greatly treasured achievements for South Africa.
United States President Barack Obama left for Johannesburg on Monday, aboard Air force One, accompanied by his wife Michelle Obama, former presidents George W. Bush and his wife Laura, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
UN Secretary General will also grace the funeral service.
Security is beefed up across South Africa ahead of this event, anticipated to be the biggest event in South Africa to attract key World leaders and Presidents.
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| Some of the mourners at FNB Stadium in Soweto. |
Some of those confirmed for the event are;
- Afghanistan: His Excellency Hamid Karzai, President
- Algeria: His Excellency Mr Abdelkader Bensalah, Speaker of the Council of the Nation (Senate) – rank above the Prime Minister
- Angola: His Excellency Mr Manuel Vicente, Vice President
- Argentina: Mr Amado Boudou, Acting President of Argentina
- Australia: His Excellency Mr Tony Abbott, MP, Prime Minister
- Bahamas: Right Honourable Perry Christie, Prime Minister
- Bangladesh: His Excellency Mr Md. Abdul Hamid MD ABDUL, President
- Belgium: His Royal Highness King Philippe
- Benin: His Excellency Boni Yayi, President
- Botswana: His Excellency Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President
- Brazil: Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff, President
- Burundi: His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, President
- Canada: His Excellency Stephen Harper, Prime Minister
- Chad: His Excellency Mr Idriss Deby Itno, President
- China: His Excellency Li Yuanchao, Vice President,
- Comores: His Excellency Dr Ikiliou Dhoinine, President
- Congo (Republic of the Congo): His Excellency Mr Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President
- Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo): His Excellency Joseph Kabila, President
- Cote d Ivoire: His Excellency President Allassane Ouattara, President
- Croatia: His Excellency Josipovic Ivo, President
- Cuba: His Excellency Raul Castro Ruz, President
- Denmark: His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Federick
- Djibouti: His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, President
- Ethiopia: His Excellency Ato Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister
- Equatorial Guinea: His Excellency Mr Obiang Mbasogo, President
- France: His Excellency, Francois Hollande, President
- Finland: His Excellency Sauli Niinisto, President
- Gabon: His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba, President
- The Gambia: His Excellency Prof Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, President Sheikh
- Ghana: His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President
- Germany: His Excellency Joachim Gauck, President
- Guyana: His Excellency Donald Ramotar, President
- Guinea: His Excellency Prof Alpha Conde, President
- India: His Excellency Pranab Mukherjee, President
- Ireland: His Excellency Michael D Higgins, President
- Italy: His Excellency Enrico Letta, Prime Minister
- Japan: His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Naruhito
- Jamaica: Her Excellency, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister
- Jordan: Her Royal Highness, Queen Rania Al Abdullah and His Excellency Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Ensour
- Kenya: His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President
- Korea (South): His Excellency Hongwon Chung, Prime Minister
- Lebanon: His Excellency Mr Najib Mikati, Prime Minister
- Lesotho: His Excellency, T Thabane, Prime Minister
- Liberia: Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President
- Mozambique: President of Mozambique, HE Armando Emilio Guebuza
- Namibia: His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President
- Niger: His Excellency Issoufou Mahamdou, President
- New Zealand: Right Hon John Key, Prime Minister
- Nigeria: His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, President
- Niger: His Excellency Mahamadou, President of Niger
- Norway: His Royal Highness Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
- Pakistan: His Excellency Mr Mamnoon Hussain, President
- Palestinian State: His Excellency Mahmoud Abbas, President
- Portugal: His Excellency, Anibal Cavaco Silva, President
- Saudi Arabia: His Royal Highness Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince
- Saharawi Republic: His Excellency Mr Mohamed Abdelaziz, President
- Senegal: His Excellency Macky Sall, President
- Serbia: His Excellency Tomislav Nikolic, President
- Seychelles: His Excellency Mr James Alix MICHEL
- Spain: His Royal Highness Felipe de Borbon, The Prince of Asturias
- Sri Lanka: His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President
- Sudan: His Excellency Bakri Hassan Salih, Vice President
- Suriname: His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President
- Slovenia: His Excellency Pahor, President
- South Sudan: His Excellency General Salva Kir Mayardit, President
- Sweden: His Excellency Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria.
- Switzerland: His Excellency Mr Ulrich Maurer, President
- Swaziland: His Excellency Dr Sibusiso Dlamini, Prime Minister
- Suriname: His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse, President
- Tanzania: His Excellency Dr Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President
- Timor-Leste: His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana, Prime Minister
- Tunisia: His Excellency Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, President
- Trinidad and Tobago: His Excellency Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister
- Uganda: His Excellency Yoweri Kagota Museveni, President
- United Arab Emirates: His Excellency Sheikh Nayahan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture – Special Envoy of the Emir
- United Kingdom: His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prime Minister David Cameron
- United States of America: His Excellency Barack Obama, President
- Venezuela: His Excellency Nicolas Maduro Moros, President
- Zimbabwe: His Excellency Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President
- Zambia: His Excellency Michael Sata, President
- Arab States League: His Excellency Amb Samir Hosny, Minister
- African Union Commission: Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson
- Commonwealth: His Excellency, Mr Kamalesh Sharma
- European Council: His Excellency Mr Herman van Rompuy, President
- Mexico: His Excellency Enrique Pena Nieto President of Mexico
- Mauritius: His Excellency Dr the Honourable Navinchandra, Prime Minister
- Mauritania: His Excellency Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President
- Malawi: Her Excellency Joyce Banda, President
- Grand Duchy of Luxenbourg: His Royal Highness Henry of Luxembourg, The Grand Duke