Elaborate funeral plans were set in motion in South Africa this evening just hours after it was announced that the country’s revered first black president Nelson Mandela has died at age 95.
The 12-day state memorial is expected to be an unparalleled event in South Africa’s history, drawing a plethora of foreign dignitaries of every stripe, members of royal houses and a smattering of celebrities.
South African President Jacob Zuma ordered the nation’s flags to be flown at half-mast beginning Friday and to remain that way until after Mandela’s funeral, which is expected to be held next Saturday.
Counting himself among the millions influenced by Nelson Mandela, President Obama mourned the death of the anti-apartheid hero with whom he shares the distinction of being his nation’s first black president.
