South Africans have
gathered in Johannesburg and Soweto to mourn their former leader, Nelson
Mandela, who died on Thursday aged 95.
Crowds have been paying tribute, dancing and singing in front of Mr Mandela's former home in Soweto.
He is to be accorded a state funeral on Sunday 15 December, President Jacob Zuma announced.
Mr Mandela spent 27 years in jail before becoming South Africa's first black president in 1994.
His administration replaced the racist white-minority regime that had enforced segregation of black and white people in a policy known as apartheid.
Mr Mandela went on to become one of the world's most respected statesmen.
At a news conference on Friday afternoon, Mr Zuma outlined a week of events to mourn the former president.
- Sunday will be an official day of prayer and reflection with special religious services
- On Tuesday, a service of national mourning will be held at a 95,000-seater stadium on the outskirts of Johannesburg
- Mr Mandela's body will lie in state from Wednesday to Friday in the capital, Pretoria
The funeral will be held in the
vi
llage of Qunu in the Eastern Cape, where Mr Mandela grew up. South
African Airways has announced that it will provide extra flights to Qunu
for mourners.Hundreds have attended an interfaith remembrance service outside Cape Town's City Hall. The Johannesburg stock exchange suspended operations for five minutes on Friday as a mark of respect.
Criticism
"We sincerely thank all South Africans for the dignified manner in which they have respected and responded to the monumental loss of this international icon," Mr Zuma said.
Speaking in Cape Town, Mr Mandela's long-time ally, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, described him as an "incredible gift" to South Africa. "He taught us extraordinarily practical lessons about forgiveness, compassion and reconciliation."
He also cited Mr Mandela's weaknesses, including "his steadfast loyalty to his organisation and some of his colleagues who ultimately let him down"