RIP: Daughter Recounts Mandela's Final Hours

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Makaziwe, daughter of Nelson Mandela has recounted the “wonderful” final hours of the iconic former South African president, who died at 95 last Thursday at his Johannesburg home. She said he was surrounded by friends and family. His wife Graca, the children and grandchildren were all there to say goodbye. Makaziwe told BBC: "Until the last moment he had us, you know... The children were there, the grandchildren were there, Graca was there, so we were always around him and even at the last moment, we were sitting with him on Thursday the whole day. Continue...


"I think from last week, Friday until Thursday, it was a wonderful time, if you can say the process of death is wonderful. But Tata (Nelson Mandela) had a wonderful time, because we were there.

"When the doctors told us I think Thursday morning... that there was nothing that they could do, and said to me 'Maki call everybody that is here that wants to see him and say bye bye', it was a most wonderful day for us because the grandchildren were there; we were there."

Makaziwe paid tribute to the doctors for the 24-hour care given the deceased until he breathed his last.

She said: "It was like there were soldiers guarding this period of the king - yes my father came  from royalty - without them knowing they were actually practising our rituals and culture, they were there in silence and when we as family members come in, they would excuse themselves and just a few of them would be there to give us the time to be around my dad's bed."

South Africa is observing a series of commemorations over the next week, leading up to the funeral on Sunday.

The foreign ministry stated that 91 current heads of state or government have confirmed they are coming to South Africa, along with "10 former heads of state, 86 heads of delegations and 75 eminent persons".

With 91 heads of state attending, security will be tight. South African officials won't talk about their security plans -- how many police officers, how many troops, precautions to keep the stadium weapons and explosives-free.

Source: Naij UpdatingNaija

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