. >> you have to think that hearing that would prompt one of those famous mandela smiles. thehat was just the tip of iceberg. they will have two more days to get inside the building behind their final goodbyes to nelson mandela. the problem is the process is so convoluted and the lines are so long that so many people are wanting to get inside that there may not be enough time to get them all in and people will be waiting for days in line and never get a chance to say good by. they have two days so we hope for the best. for now. leon harris, abc 7 news. >> the worldwide morning of the loss of nelson mandela continues tonight in washington. outside the south african embassy, there would be a vigil at 7:00 p.m. billy son of reverend graham is requesting prayers for his father. he says his father is extremely weak but his vital signs are good. the 95-year-old evangelist has suffered recurrent respiratory problems for many years and he was all spoke hospitalized three weeks ago. also hospitalized. >> rg3 reacting to the news that he will be on the sidelines for the remainder of

smile. when they say that happens in so many mandela performances, the am begs ambition of the actor to meety. >> see the fire in the eyes. fire in the belly. ♪ ♪ free free free nelson mandela ♪ >> reporter: when mandela was in jail it was pop music responding to burgeoning protests and news coverage of apartheid. ♪ ♪ organized and fronted by bruce springsteen, steven vansant. artists recorded sun city in 1985 to support the boycott of south africa. years afterwards, after he won freedom for himself and his nation, the burdens of office were lightened for mandela by the occasional presence of entertainers. for michael jackson -- for the spice girls. >> this town which understands star culture, how did they see nelson mandela? >> he was the ultimate star? he is -- a hero, he is a flesh and blood hero, alive in our time. >> the entire entertainment community saw in him, a man they yearned to i've de eed to i'ved. >> you are saying to get your picture taken with nelson mandela was the ultimate tribute for a hollywood producer? >> definitely. meant your heart, spirit and conscience was in the ri

we haven't talked enough about the nelson mandela smile. my goodness. >> and the laugh. >> yeah. >> and the dancing. >> yes. >> that, too. yes. we'll see that as well. >> that's what i will always remember. >> nelson mandela once famously said sport has the power to change the world. he was a keen boxer and runner in his younger days. as president he used the 199 a 5 rugby world cup to bring all the issues of south africa. nelson mandela leaves a lasting impression on the world of sport. >> this is your country. 7 minutes. 7 minutes. defense, defense, defense. this is it. this is our destiny. >> ought only did the 1959 rugby world cup produce the nations host title. it was once used as a springbird by then president nelson mandela to try to develop a united post south africa. mandela appreciated the impact sports was capable of and a premier home event held in his homeland was just the vehicle he needed. in 2009, a hollywood production of "invictus" was presented by clint eastwood to inspire change by rugby. >> this is a story about a man wh

. >> in that moment, nelson mandela smiling his reassuring smile became the healer of wounds in southa. the bridge across the chasm between blacks and whites divided by apartheid. that is his legacy. >> he spoke about forgiveness, about reconciliation and we owe him an enormous debt. >> archbishop desmond tutu. >> if someone had said, you talk about forgiveness but you have suffered. >> seeing him this way as his nation's beloved former president it's easy to forget the nelson mandela who spent 27 years in prison. most of them here on robin island south africa's alcatraz. conditions were grim. this was his cell. >> the work was very difficult at first. every day we had bleeding hands. >> one of the seven other political prisoners sentenced with mandela. >> they were instructed to do everything possible to break our morals. >> they failed. >> prison made the nell san mandela we know today. i asked him the question he kind of shrugged and looked at me and said i came out mature. >> rick stangle the former editor of "time" magazine. he helped mandela write his autobiography. >> the young

this is my nelson mandela moment. >> there he is, smiling, peaceful, regal. that is nelson mandela sitting in a chair of his office, holding the phone as reverend jackson asks him to give a quick hello to his wife. see the young lady in the black dress. that's me a freshly minted college grad meeting a man i had only read about in history books. i never imagined i would be sitting there when a year before i was a college student choosing where to go. i chose south africa. a country that virtually threw him away. i taught in a poor township, kids born the year nelson mandela was freed. they were, as we say, the first generation of born frees. their dreams were almost as big as their smiles. do you see that there'll be hope for things to change. >> there could be hope and we could make a difference. >> after i started working with them i was invited to meet president nelson mandela and president jacob zuma while reference rend jessie jackson was in down. i never forget nelson mandela greeting me in that voice, "how nice to meet you, young lady." highs mind was s

the scope of his accomplishments, the adulation and around the earth, thanks to remember nelson mandela smiling men. strongly permit such a life. [cheers and applause] >> instead, sharing with us his thoughts and fears, no miscalculation along with his victory. i am not a saint, he said. unless you think of the st. as a sinner who keeps on trying to. because he could admit imperfection. he was full of good humor, even mischief despite the heavy burden that he carried. he was not a statue made of marble but a man of flesh and blood, a son and husband, father and a friend. that is how we learn from him and we can learn from him still. in the arc of his life we see a man who earned his place in history through shrewdness and forgiveness and faith. he tells us what is possible not just in the pages of history books but in our own lives as welhim nelson mandela showed us the power of action, taking risks on behalf of our ideals. perhaps mandela was right that he inherited a proud rebelliousness, stubborn sense of fairness from his father and we know he shared with millions of black and colored south

mandela would do that. you couldn't help but smile when you saw him doing that little chicken wing movement with his arms. many times in africa, people laugh and sing and dance through their sadness and their sorrow. these are people celebrating nelson mandela's life. if you didn't know this was a funeral, he would not know this was a funeral. they are in a stadium. a lot of cheering. people are very happy on this particular day to give what they call the old man a long good-bye. we are in the process of a ten-day funeral service for nelson mandela. >> you always hope at a time like this, that this will somehow cause a recognition of the possibilities of south africa that nelson mandela dreamed of. >> people will tell you there is still work to do in south africa. everyone knows there is still work to do. we will see it remains to be seen what will happen after the death of nelson mandela in this country. bill whittaker is inside the stadium. i know the weather is very dreary. a friend says, that's why we have umbrellas, nobody seems to mind this very drizzly weather there today. hello, bill whittaker. >>

life, and the adoration that he so rightly earned, it is tempting then to remember nelson mandela as an icon, smilingand serene, detached from the tawdry affairs of lesser men. but madiba himself strongly resisted such a lifeless portrait. instead, he insisted on sharing with us his doubts and fears, his miscalculations along with his victories. [applause] "i'm not a saint," he said, "unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying." it was precisely because he could admit to imperfection -- because he could be so full of good humour, even mischief, despite the heavy burdens he carried -- that we loved him so. he was not a bust made of marble, he was a man of flesh and blood -- a son and husband, a father and a friend. that is why we learned so much from him, that is why we can learn from him still. for nothing he achieved was inevitable. in the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness, persistence and faith. he tells us what's possible not just in the pages of dusty history books, but in our own lives as well. mandela showed us the pow

it would be mandela's last public appearance. >> that smile is so charming. >>> up next, the first ladyher one and only meeting with mandela. >> and how this event is playing out in social media, unlike any other before it. ♪ [ male announcer ] even well-planned holidays can wind up at the corner of "stockings are stuffed" and "quick -- duck!" luckily, walgreens is always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out for extra stocking stuffers... or anything else you might suddenly need. stop by walgreens anytime for hershey's kisses chocolates, gift cards, and more. plus get up to 20 dollars in jingle cash on next week's purchase of 30 dollars or more. here at the corner of happy and healthy. ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience the joy of sugar w

mandela moment. >> there he is, smiling, peaceful, regal. that's nelson mandela sitting in the office holding the phone as reverend jackson asks him to give a quick hello to his wife. see the young lady behind him in the black dress, that's me, a freshly minted college grad meeting a man i had only read about in history books. it's funny how life works. i never imagined i would be be sitting there when a year before i was an eager college senior choosing where i would go for my fulbright scholarship. i chose south africa. i started teaching kids in one of the country's poorest townshiptownships. they were the first generation of born frees and their dreams were almost as big as their smiles. >> do you see there is hope for change? >> we could be hoping. >> shortly after i started working with them i got invited to meet president mandela while reverend jesse jackson was in town. i'll never forget president mandela greeting me in that voice. that voice of his. now nice to meet you, young lady. his mind was sharp and oozed charisma that only tho

but mandela is famous for his smile, but that smile is not there. believe he was deeply aware of the enormous challenge and responsibility that now lay on him. ♪ >> we will reach the goal of liberating the black people of this country within our lifetime. >> teichner: nelson mandela was free, but the fight for freedom was far from over. >> pelley: when we come back, "60 minutes'" bob simon reflects on mandela's journey from prisoner to president. honestly, i'm not looking for five-star treatment. i get times are tight. but it's hard to get any work done like this. then came this baby -- small but with windows and office. it runs my work stuff. ...and i can use apps like flipboard for news, or xbox video to watch the shows i'm never home to see... and i can still get work done at the same time. excuse me, do you mind if i... yep. ♪ honestly, i wanna see you be brave ♪ to wake up and smell the roses. scent makes us feel like nothing else can. ♪ inspired by the best feelings in the world. glade. am i forgetting something? no holiday's complete without

accomplishments, the adoration that he so rightly earned, it's tempting to remember nelson mandela as an icon. smiling. but ma -- madiba resisted the portrait. instead, madiba insisted on sharing with us his doubts and his fears. his miscalculations long with his victories. i am not a saint, he said, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. it was precisely because he would admit imperfects, full of humor and mischief, despite the heavy burden he carried, that we loved him most. he was not a bust made of marble. he was man of fresh and blood. a son and a husband. a father and a friend. and that's why we learned so much from him and why we can learn from him still. nothing he achieved cass inevitable. in the arc of his life we see man who earned his police in history through struggles and persistence and sureness and faith. he tells us what is possible, not just in the pages of history books, but in our own lives as well. mandela showed us the power of action, of taking risks on behalf of our ideas. perhaps mandela was right he inherited a stubborn sense of fairness from his father,

smiling. nelson mandela was beaming. he was ahead of his time. >> what would he talk about? >> it was interesting. you can lead him in certain directions. we got to a point of intimacy where he was used to you being around. he was very principled. if you talk out of turn, you could bet the figure would be waiting you. you could say to him, were you lonely? what did you miss? what happened was he said, sometimes i feel more lonely now than i did when i was in robben island. you would work all day long. there were times when you go to the house to pick him up and he would be sitting alone in a chair. it was a great, great responsibility. i want to say that when he first got out of prison he had to go to a dinner one night. one of his friends pick him up in the car and had to drive him to a dinner. you realize that he had no money. so he stopped with mandella and went over to an atm and put the card in. mandela some money coming out of a wall. [laughter] he did not know what an atm was. he said to the guy, what was that? >> it was a cute thing. at his inauguration we had the pr

mandela kept none of the bad and all of the good. he held on to his sense of humor as well. >> reporter: the goofy dance, the broad smile. s a cartoonist's dream. this man documented mandela's political life on paper. cartoons that he so enjoyed that he once phoned him up when they were no longer printed in the newspaper that he like to read. >> a woman says, hold on for president mandela. and i said, no this is a joke. i wait a bit longer and this voice comes on. hello. is that zapiro? and i said yes. and i was thinking, is it him? and he says, this is president mandela. and i was like, it sounds like you, so it must be you. >> reporter: he says it was his next comment during the telephone conversation that said so much about his leadership style. >> i just want to say something else, i want to say that i'm amazed that you're doing this when you would have seen that cartoons have been getting a lot more critical. i've had to take a critical step back and do things critical of the government and -- and he said, oh, but that is your job. >> reporter: they say he understood the need for satire in society and wasn't threaten

mandela always had a smile and a joke when he met people. i was fortunate he asked me eight years ago to come and be his personal vid yeographer. he got a joke out of nothing each time he saw me. he once saw me with a group of women on one occasion and he came over and whispered, lucky you. he turned to me and says, paul, is this the car i came in? well he's going on a journey now. and after up to two weeks of ceremonies it will end up with him being laid to rest, greta. >> you know, we hear about him being humble. none of us knew him personally. we look at the things he has done this his life. but he tonight, would he be surprised that the whole world is looking at this, all eyes on south africa in a wave of sadness going across the world? >> he was a humble man but he was deeply aware of the major interest in him. he was also incredibly comfortable in the media spotlight. we were fortunate enough. we were so trusted by his security that i and my cameraman were often left alone with him or whether he was in front of hundreds of thousands of

mandela would do that. you couldn't help but smile when you saw him doing that little chicken wing movement with his arms. many times in africa, people laugh and sing and dance through their sadness and their sorrow. these are people celebrating nelson mandela's life. if you didn't know this was a funeral, he would not know this was a funeral. they are in a stadium. a lot of cheering. people are very happy on this particular day to give what they call the old man a long good-bye. we are in the process of a ten-day funeral service for nelson mandela. >> you always hope at a time like this, that this will somehow cause a recognition of the possibilities of south africa that nelson mandela dreamed of. >> people will tell you there is still work to do in south africa. everyone knows there is still work to do. we will see it remains to be seen what will happen after the death of nelson mandela in this country. bill whittaker is inside the stadium. i know the weather is very dreary. a friend says, that's why we have umbrellas, nobody seems to mind this very drizzly weather there today. hello, bill whittaker. >>

. >> we think of nelson mandela and see that smile that's like sunshine. ust lights up anyplace. i only had the experience of meeting him once, it was in '94 and he was already nelson mandela. but before, long before, it wasn't that he wasn't an gri and have that bitterness but he knew how to channel it and get beyond it. that was in a sense a real part of the drive he had and focus he had. just listening to all the stories you hear about him in the last day, someone was telling a story about him in prison and how when he was on robben island, he never acted like a prisoner. he had the bearing and command presence not of a prisoner but of, in fact, the guy that was running the joint. >> there's frequent talk of the nobility with which mandela carried himself. that translated, nick, you pointed this out today into his generosity with both the people that were against him, the folks imprisoning him. you write in your column my favorite fact about nelson mandela was that he lived -- he invited one of his white jailers who helped imprison him 20 years to the in

theas then a little bit of jocular mandela appeared. without him smiling we may have junk a little tea and water in that period. it was winter, but it was rather clammy and hot. , "boys" -- that is what he called his, i was the youngest, they were probably 10 or 15 years older than me. he said, "noise, you have to train, be physically fit -- "boys, you have to train, be physically fit." he encouraged us to read as much as possible from international literature, from books like arms"way's "farewell to as well as other material. importantly, you will never forget, the struggle of can you let freedom. the struggle of canyon led freedom. he said, know how the struggle in africa, the armed struggle against colonialism in africa has been inspired and motivated by its successes and failures. as a 23-year-old, amy, i possibly wanted to show -- i was somewhat of an athlete and i was in the cross-country class. -- we did not call him a madiba in those days, that came much, much later -- i said, "comrade mandela, i am trying very hard." he said, "are you good at long

mandela always had a smile and a joke when he met people. i was fortunate he asked me eight years ago to come and be his personal videographer and also for his nelson mandela's children's fund. he managed to get a joke out of nothing each time he saw me. when he once saw me with a group of women on one occasion, he came over and whispered lucky you. getting into the car he always traveled, in always in the same car, he turned to me and said, paul, is this the car i came in? well, he is going on a journey now. and after up to two weeks of ceremonies, that final journey will end up with him being laid to rest, greta. >> you know, paul, we hear so much about him being humble. none of us knew him personally. we look at merely his accomplishments and extraordinary things that he does in his life. but i'm thinking, you know, we tonight, would he be surprised that the whole world is looking at this, all eyes on south africa and great sort of wave of sadness going across the world? >> he was a humble man but he was deeply aware of the meager interest

angry, the black people were so angry and white people felt so guilty until nelson mandela released from prison came out smiling and holding hands with whites and holding white babies and saying, this is a time for friendship. this is about south africa not about zunu or others. this is about south africa. and it amazes me that today there are people who actually go to south africa for vacation. that is the purest act and the gift of nelson mandela. >> schieffer: what do you suppose it was about him? he had this center unlike any one that i think we've ever known about. as i was thinking about this, it was not one particular act that nelson mandela did that made him a hero. it was his whole life. where did that come from, do you think? >> well, i'm trying on a christian, and working at it, anyway, i'm always amazing people walk up to me, i'm a christian, i think, already? i'm trying to be a christian. this is for people who are jews and people who are religious jews and people who are muslims and buddhists and so forth. i think it is knowing that there is something greater than you. that greatness might be call

mandela, i asked, what is the one thing in life you know for sure? with that elegant smilese. with defiance and dignity in equal measure. nelson mandela chose and america loved him for it. >> this was at 4:00 in the morning. >> that's right. >> thanks very much. appreciate it. we'll be right back. through all of our energy operations, we invest more in the u.s. than any other place in the world. in fact, we've invested over $55 billion here in the last five years - making bp america's largest energy investor. our commitment has never been stronger. and this park is the inside of your body. see the special psyllium fiber in metamucil actually gels to trap some carbs to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. metamucil. 3 amazing benefits in 1 super fiber. [ alarm sound for malfunctioning printer ] [ male announcer ] you've reached the age where you've learned a thing or two. [ metal clanks ] ♪ this is the age of knowing what you're made of. so why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? [ gears whirring ] talk to your doctor about viagra. 20 million men already have. ask

. >> it's tempting i think to remember nelson mandela as an icon, smiling and serene, but madiba himselftrongly resisted such a lifeless portrait. i am not a saint, he said, unless you think i'm a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. >> one other moment of note, president obama unexpectedly shaking hands with cuban president raul castro, america's cold war rival. castro smiled during the handshake and said a few words. the relationship between the u.s. and cuba has thawed recently. >>> stay with news 4 for the very latest developments as the world prepares to say good-bye to nelson mandela. news 4's jim vance is traveling to south africa to cover the funeral. his reports begin on thursday. >>> today's weather story isn't just in our area. check this out. amazing video into our newsroom showing a 40-car pileup caught >>> good afternoon everyone. i'm bears. >> i'm pat lawson muse. d.c. public schools and all major school systems in maryland, virginia and west virginia were closed. that means no after school activities. the federal government closed except for emergency and telework ready

mandela scowling. in almost every photograph he's got the big smile. it's amazing. >> i wonder if we could take a trip to our ribbon at the top. our associates here populate with news breaks. they're able to populate this ribbon with the news of the day. in this case take us along a ride in history. from the tweets and photographs, your observation is one worth noting and repeating. you never saw him look unhappy. >> he was never angry. >> from the moment he got out of prison. he never spoke with anger. he spoke with a gentle voice and beaming smile. obviously he was human and had faults and a sinner. probably had days it probably took a lot to do that smile. what an example to set for the rest of the world. >> it strikes me now as we speak here, i as a young journalist in 1990 remember him getting out of prison. your memories and jonathan's memory, there's a group of people on this earth now, many of them working with me very well and professionally on this news deck who weren't born there. there's an entire generations of americans who over the next

. >> it's tempting, i think, to remember nelson mandela as an icon, smiling -- [ inaudible ] but madiba himself strongly resist resisted. [ applause ] >> instead, madiba insisted on sharing with us his doubts and his fears, his miscalculations along with his victories. i am not a saint, he said, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. precisely because he would admit the imperfection, because he grew to be so full of good humor, even mischief despite the heavy burdens he carries that we love him so. he was not a bust made of marble, he was a man of flesh and blood, a son and a husband, a father and a friend. that's why we learned so much from him. that's why we can learn from him still. nothing he achieved was inevitable. in the arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness and persistence and faith. >> the president's speech struck familiar chords of reflection and tribute, it was also deeply person. as the first u.s. president of african descent reflecting on the life of the first south african black president, obama

smile in the fifties, politicians you lo politicians pictures from the fifties nobody is smiling, nelson mandela is beaming, he was the head of ahead of his time and walter recognized it. >> rose: yes. what would he talk about? >> you know, it is very interesting because you could lead him in certain directions, and when you got to a point of intimacy with him where he was used to you being around and trusted you, because, you know, he was very, very principled if you talked out of turn or gossiped or something like that, you could bet that the finger was going to be waved at you. but you could say to him, were you lonely? you know, what did you miss? and then what happened is that he said, you know, sometimes i feel more lonely now than i did when he as in robin island, because, you know, he would work .. all day long and plenty of times we would go back to the house and, you know, or he would go to the house to pick him up and sitting alone in the chair, but, you know, it was a great, great responsibility, but i do want to say that when he first got out of prison he had to go to a dinner one n

dignity and certainly in some ways almost the kind of physiology me that resembles the quiet smile of mandelai think the long-term history, that's quite -- that's quite a comparison that -- >> it's very hard to make these judgments very early, frankly. professor is quite right. he's quite young. we still have a long way to go, we hope, in the political history of this country. there will be other african-american presidents, men and women, at some point, in our history, as well. to say nothing of the other ethnic groups that will be represented. and we'll get beyond that at some point. and we'll talk about the underlying values that really count. >> right. >> in a complex, democratic society. >> right. and it allows you also, when we look at other countries, obviously, we tend to focus on ourselves. we can learn something. your point is, i think, apt. there was a healing power in the nature of the mandela legacy that goes beyond being a politician. and there's so many differences to this story but something that many populations have in common is we often respect our activists and our faith l

because there's a fine line between impersonation and acting, and people know what mandela looks like, what his smileike, his voice. how did you approach that? >> i mean, there's no doubt, we were so aware that i don't look anything like mandela, and we were asking the audience to make a big leap of faith for me. but ultimately, you know, one thing that i found in our research about mandela is that people talk about his presence, his aura, you know? and that's -- he has a real big presence, you know. he leaves the room, people have an impression made by mandela. so, you know, that was a big, big task for us to try and bring that to life in a movie, you know what i'm saying? like, if you're watching a reality show, you can feel someone's aura and they end up reality shows, but this is mandela. this is a man that, you know, a worldwide citizen. and to try to encapture him into a film, into a character with an actor that doesn't look like him was a big ask for the audience. >> how much was it the voice? i mean, i think people that were first introduced to you as an actor on "string a bell on the wire,"

let's do this, let's take a look back now at the amazing life of nelson mandela, here is al jazeera. >> his smile and his strength, powerful weapons in the fight for racial and political equality. >> many people fear that it is useless and fought tile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence. against a government on these savage attacks. on deless people. >> the black man that would leave south africa away from decades of white minority rule, was born in 1918. he grew up in a roadless area, born to tribal royalty he was adopted after his father's death when he was just nine. he was the first in his family to attend school, with a missionary teacher gave him the first name nelson. his political activism began in college, where he was elected to the student council but stepped down and joins a boycott over conditions at the school. he moved to johannisberger studied law, and joins the african national congress, a political party and resistence move fighting the segregation that was so deeply devicive in south africa. those divisions grew even sharper when south africa elects a white nationa

next, nelson mandela's achievements as president. >>> those smiles that you're seeing are kids that never have seen desks before. thanks to you and contributions by the k.i.n.d. fund. people don't have to think about where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪ gives you a long-lasting fresh breath feeling. so you have the courage to jump in... go in for the hug... or make sparks fly. for a fresh breath feeling that lasts up to 5x longer, get scope outlast. >>> this is one of the most important moments in the life of our country. i stand before you with great pride and joy, pride of the people of this country. you are shown such a calm and patient determination to reclaim this country as your own. enjoy that you can loudly proclaim from the rooftops free at last. [ applause ] >> that was nelson mandela giving his presidential victory speech

accomplishments, the adoration he so rightly earned, it's tempting i think to remember nelson mandela as an icon, smilingmen. but he resisted such a portrait. >> president obama remembers nelson mandela this morning in south africa. the rain has been falling all morning long but the mood there can only be described as jubilant. world leaders and tens of thousands of south africans came to pay their respects to a man who helped free his country from the chains of apartheid. they've been struck by the outpouring of emotion, not just mourn bug celebrations and dancing. as you saw, it's fitting the service is being held at fnmb stadium, mr. mandela made his final public appearance at the 2010 world cup. tuesday, december 10th. welcome back to "morning joe." reverend article sharpton, harold ford jr. and for bloomberg, juliana goldman. we'll get to the table in just a moment, but first we want to turn to nbc's tracie potts live in south africa. tracie? >> reporter: mika, good morning from pretoria. after today, the focus is going to shift here. that big building behind me referred to as the union buildings. t

accomplishment, the adoration he so rightly earned, it is tempting, i think, to remember nelson mandela as an icon, smilingrene, detached from the tawdry affairs. himself strongly resisted such a lifeless portrait. and applause] a insisted onb sharing with us his doubts and his fears, his miscalculations along with his victories. i am not a saint, he said, unless you think of a saint as a center who keeps on trying. who keeps on trying. it was precisely because he could admit his imperfections, because he could be so full of good humor, even mischief, despite the heavy burdens that he carried him a that we loved him so -- he carried, that he loved him so. he was a man of flesh and blood. a son and a husband. a father and a friend. we learned so much from him and that is why we can learn from him still. for nothing he achieved was inevitable. arc of his life, we see a man who earned his place in history three struggle and shrewdness and persistence and faith. us what is possible, not just in the pages of history books but in our own lives as well. mandela showed us the power of action, of taking risk on beh

tell us about the savvy man who was able to accomplish what he did with much more than smile and grace. >> nelson mandela was a smart man, a trained man, an educated man and he also stressed the need for that. you can't know what's right unless you know what's wrong. so you can't be in a position to demand what's right before you can criticize what's wrong. so he is staying on top of that. he also learned the best way to overcome your enemy is to be smarter. the best way to unite your forces is to be able to give credit where it belongs. he would say he served with me as well as in prison. steve, he did not to go prison because he was killed. but the sacrifices he made. so mandela was able to unite the forces of good wherever they were. whether it was in the other places, in the urban dwellings of johannesburg or capetown. he was able to speak to the high and the low. to let them know it was not just for a few but for all. and did he so not looking out for anything for himself but sharing with others. he is a moral for us, the likes of which we will have a very difficult time seeing a replacement any tim

writing a children's book about nelson mandela to zillion thsh to distill this huge story into a story that was palatable to young readers. i wanted to have him smiling a little bit, but his eyes are relaxed and that he is at peace. that was an invitation to readers to open the book. i started with my recollection of seeing nelson mandela speak, and then i began doing quite a bit of research, looking at photographs of him from his earliest times to present day. this is an image of nelson and his comrades after they were imprisoned. they are dancing, which is kind of a tribute to their roots, to their ancestral root. they are calling upon the ancestors to join them in their struggle for freedom. here he is sitting behind bars at the beginning of what would e a very long sentences -- sentence. he was a brilliant shining example of a hero. i think it is something that everyone responds to, someone who is in a situation and is overto overcome it, transcend it or stand on top of it. this is an image of nelson mandela shortly after he was elected. his hand it raised against the government, but now it is the other side of it. he has a bright smile, and he i

mandela. >> the joyous event up next. >> all he does is make you feel comfortable. he makes you feel like you're the important one. >> a profound dignity, the warmth, the smile. this was the last time nelson mandela sat for a photo session. it was for a favourite charity. what those moments were like - coming up. [ singing ] >> reaction was instant - moving and powerful images of nelson mandela flashed around the world. a few days later more than 90 world leaders joined tens of thousands in a johannesburg soccer stadium for an owe initial service, from cuba, britain and china, all coming to honour nelson mandela and his life. from united states president jimmy carter bill clinton and george w. bush as well as current president barack obama came to pay tribute. >> it is hard to eulogise any man. to capture in words not just the facts, the dates that makes a life, but the essential truth of a person, their private joys and sorrows, required moments and unique qualities that illuminate someone's sole. harder to do so for a client of history who moved a nation towards justice and in the process moved millions around the world. >> the opening chapters of the holy k

mandela. president obama touched on the human side of the global icon. >> smiling and serene, detached from the tawdry affairs. he resisted such a life. [ cheering ] >> instead, madiba insisted on sharing with us his doubts and spirits. i'm not a saint, he said, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. ♪ >> joining us to discuss nelson mandela's commitment to reconciliation and the transfer imagination of south africa into a multi racial republic in cape down glenda, director of transformation services at the university of cape town. she was a commissioner on the south africaen commission. and dave stewart, chief of staff to former president declerk. here in our studio, senior scholar at the wilson center in washington, d.c. and author of "chained together: mandela, de clerc." my guests are very thoughtful people, the pause that you'll hear is not because they're taking a long time to think about it, but there is a little bit of a delay on the satellite with us this evening, so bear with us. dave stewart, in the 1980s the world had a not seen nelson mandela for 20 years but

the adoration he so rightly earned, it's temptin tempting, i think, to remember nelson mandela as an icon smiling detached from the affairs. but he strongly resisted such a lifeless portrait. [applause] instead, he insisted sharing with us his doubts and his fears, his miscalculations along with his victories. i am not a saint, he said, unless you think of a saint as sinner who keeps on trying. it was precisely because he could admit the imperfection, because he could be so full of good humor, even mischief despite the heavy burdens that he carried. that we loved him so. he was a man of flesh and blood, a son and a husband, a father and a friend. and that's why we learned so much from him and that's why we can learn from him still. for nothing he achieved was inevitable in the arc of his life we see a man who earned his place in history through struggles and shrewdness and persistence and faith. he tells us what is possible not just in the pages of history books but in our own lives as well. mandela showed us the power of action of taking risks on behalf of our ideals. perhaps mandela was right t

sign language scandal at nelson mandela's memorial service made global headlines at the expense of the sea relief. coming up short. they're calling obama's happy smiling sophie photo with the danish and british prime ministers at the mandela funeral an international incident but before we rail on obama for doing something stupid a funeral we need to clear one thing up the washington post says that this action occurred at the memorial service after the funeral was over and trust me after about three hours of serious lectures at a conference or some sort of super long wedding most of us would just be banging our heads against the wall out of boredom and i'd probably check my email about seven times obama's place know i said most of us but the president isn't supposed to be like most of us because he represents all of us it's one thing when you're fourteen and too stupid to realize that selfie photos at the wake after grampa's funeral is a bad idea but it's another thing entirely when one of the most photographed and powerful people on the planet takes a selfie at the memorial service of someone he claims to respect although i might sound annoyed this so

mandela, i asked, what is the one thing in life you know for sure? with that elegant smile he answered, good and evil are always at war. good men must choose. with defiance and dignity in equal measure, nelson mandela chose and america loved him for it. byron pitts, abc news, new york. >>> and byron is here right now. what a wonderful story of your encounter with him. he always said that courage isn't the absence of fear but the ability to triumph over it. >> exactly right. mandela often said he was a student of gandhi. martin luther king, america's civil rights movement. i think it's fair to say that history will show the student became the teacher. america the world, his classroom. >> every individual life has a lesson. >> yes. >> thank you so much, byron. >>> still ahead on this special edition of "world news," you're going to meet mandela's jailer, a country boy who became a lifelong friend. that's ahead. ♪ [ male announcer ] your eyes. even at a distance of 10 miles... the length of 146 football fields... they can see the light of a single candle. your eyes are amazing

nelson mandela showed us a way with a heart larger than this stadium and an infectious smile that couwas as powerful as ligh. nelson mandela is at rest. let us now be guided and inspired by the spirit he gave all of us, the flame of human rights, the beaker of hope. nelson mandela fought throughout his life for each and every one of us. it is the duty of all of us who loved him to keep his memory alive in our hearts and to embody his -- in our eyes. may he rest in peace. thank you. thank you very much. >> we just heard from the u.n. secretary general, ban ki-moon. he hit several important themes for the south african people. and some of them were, of course, the rainbow nation, hoping someday the dream is realized as a rainbow world and pointing out that nelson mandela said he wasn't just one man. the crowd loved that, of course. we are waiting for the u.s. president barack obama. he is supposed to be speaking upcoming. right now, we have jim acosta with us. you came with the president, obviously. >> that's right. >> what did you see in terms of security in the process of getting here, w