Qunu – Preparations for the arrival of the remains of former President Nelson Mandela are at an advanced stage, with Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi saying that Mthatha Airport will be ready by midnight on Friday to receive the remains.
“Currently in terms of preparing the airport and everything that needs to be done, we are 95 percent complete and everything should be ready by midnight,” he said at the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) briefing on Friday evening.
Madiba’s body has been returned to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria. He had been lying in state at the Union Buildings for three days, with the public being given an opportunity to view his mortal remains from Wednesday until today. Over the course of the three days, Madiba's body was transported in the mornings from 1 Military Hospital to the Union Buildings Amphitheatre, and returned to the hospital at 5.30pm.
Government today said around 100 000 people, including VVIPs and VIPs, got a chance to pay their last respects to Madiba over the three-day period.
Tomorrow, Madiba’s remains will be transported to Qunu from Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria at 10.45am.
Mandela will be laid to rest in the family graves next to his home in Qunu. No vehicles will be allowed at the venue and mourners attending the funeral will be bussed in from Walter Sisulu University situated in Mthatha.
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters, who is part of the IMC tasked with preparations of Mandela’s funeral, said government, viewed the turnout of the thousands of people who visited the Union Buildings as an indication of their “immense love” for Madiba.
“We want to thank all those people who have shown interest in this process. We also want to thank people for going to the memorial services to pay their last respect to former President Mandela,” Peters said.
Thousands of people who waited outside the Union Buildings on Friday afternoon had to be turned away, as the allocated time to view the body had expired. Although some expressed disappointment, government urged South Africans to understand the time constraints leading up to the funeral in Qunu on Sunday.
“We believe South Africans have been united as they mourn the death of former President Mandela. In the last few days, we have been touched by how people turned out to pay their respect at the Union Buildings,” said Peters.
Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet said people – mainly in the Eastern Cape – who were disappointed at not getting a chance to view Mandela’s remains, should understand the logistics involved in the build-up to the funeral.
Kiviet said it was simply impractical to arrange for the body to lie in state in Qunu due to space and time limitations. Government also needed to respect the Mandela family as they mourned the loss of a loved one.
Kiviet said government has arranged for a human chain that will line up along the route from Mthatha to Qunu, where people will be able to witness the procession from Saturday morning until the afternoon. The human chain will cover a distance of more than 40 kilometres. All roads in and around Mthatha will be closed to traffic to accommodate the procession. – SAnews.gov.za
