mediva as you affectionately call him is a reference to all of us.ation that he showed in his fight. for his deep commitment to justice and peace. above all for his moral and ethical superiority. he was able to turn the quest for truth and forgiveness into the pillar of national reconciliation and the building of a new south africa. we must play homage of exaggeration of greatness and is the case with nelson mandela. >> he left many lessons not only for his beloved african continent but all who seek freedom, social justice and world peace. >> like the south africans who mourn mandiva, we, the before stillian nation proudly carry african blood in our veins and we, too, mourn and celebrate the example of this great leader, who belongs to the pantheon of humankind. >> the brazilian government and people bow down before the memory of nelson mandela. >> i would like to convey to family members, the president and all south africans, our deepest feelings of pain and sorrow. long live mandela forever! >> thank you very much from brazil, the land that welcome

it was a glorious celebration of mediva's life, swaying and dancing, didn't seem to matter much sometimes which dignitary was on stage. people just wanted to be there. to be part of history. still, america's first black president drew loud cheers as he eulogized. >> his struggle was your struggle. his triumph was your triumph. your dignity and your hope found expression in his life and your freedom. your democracy is his cherished legacy. i believe it should prompt in each of us a time for self- reflection. with honesty, regardless of our stat our circumstance, we must ask how well have i applied lessons in my own life. >> president obama shook hands with cuban leader, raul castro, whose nation has been a u.s. enemy for decades. despite the politics, everyone here today came to honor, remember, and celebrate a man who united and inspired generations. it was described as the people celebration, which will continue this week here as nelson mandela's body lies in states for three days before being moved. his home land for a burial and private ceremony. in south africa, derek mcginty, wusa9.

. >> hohn -- honoring mediva, in johannesbu johannesburg, his grandchildren greeted soldiers outsidee family's current home and talked about his legacy. looking around in this room, this is not a reality when i was born in 1987. >> now south africa prepares to welcome the world. 53 heads of state on tuesday, shuttles will transport tens of thousands. roads around the stadium will be closed. then wednesday, more clouds lining the streets s pretoria where mandela's body will lie in state for three days. the only chance for many to say a personal goodbye. >> a week from tomorrow, next monday is the 100th an versery of the governments that are here. part of that is an unveiling of after statue of mandela one day after he's buried. >> the catholic church and the philippine december claired today a day of remembrance one month after typhoon haiyan devastated parts of that country. more than 5300 people were killed. >> we need the help of other people. so far, our people are concerned, we are sure and i am sure that we can recover, because we have even become more united with each other. >>

president died last week on tuesday and we are if -- in johannesburg and what are they doing for the medivaeporter: they are making up the state funeral of nelson mandela in an hour or sos time and in cape town will sit in parliament and special session the last time nelson mandela appeared was 2010 to mark the 20st and verse of of his release from prison and with the national congress mps mandela and second wife and oldest grandson will be there as will the last leader of apartheid south africa. and elsewhere of course attention will turn to the arriving tidal wave of leaders and dignitaries and celebrities arriving here and the u.s. president expected later as for as three other former presidents and dozens more for this enormous memorial service that will take place in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 world cup and something that nelson mandela had a lot to do with bringing it to south africa and thousand also be there for the four-hour service and spill over in screens across the country with big screens where they will watch the event live. it's an enormous situation and

ted koppel leaned in and he said about the communists and mediva, well they were they are the only ones that helped us, next questions, move on. >> rose: there were instances like that do you think there was no bitterness or he realized he couldn't be bitter or he couldn't let bitterness get in his way? >> i have heard it said that he has claimed that if you were going to continue to be bitter then you are still in jail. you have imprisoned yourself. >> have you heard him say that? >> yes. and i think, mr. mayor, it would be hard to imagine that he would be without bitterness and without anger, he understood he could never demonstrate that. he could never show that. he could never show that to white south africans which to me is what made him great and if he didn't feel it at all he would have been less great, the fact he felt it and realized he was able to contain it. >> rose: yes, yes. what do you think his biggest, what do you think his biggest strengths were? i mean he went through 27 years in prison. >> patience. >> rose: well said. patience and yet at the same time he used that ti

can't do that, we don't dare to wear that in south africa because that is mandela's shirt and call it medivaobody can copy him so for our nation's pride it was great that mandela wore it but business wise it didn't bring us anything. >> now that nelson mandela passed away they hope with the fond memories of him will be the memory of his love for the shirt. >> reporter: plenty more news, features, blogs, videos on our website, just click on al jazeera.com and you will see an awful lot more content. don't go away, after the break i'll be back with another full bulletin of news straight ahead. ♪ and soul of the south africans... >> they worked side by side for freedom, now president carter talks about mandela's global impact. a revealing interview you won't see anywhere else. >> i've never heard him say, that he was grateful to the united states... >> talk to al jazeera with jimmy carter only on al jazeera america still experienced some racial tension. so my parents who both started out in segregated schools made sure i knew my history as a young african american girl. they made me learn about

special session today in cape town to honor him and they are remembering the man fondly known as mediva hundreds will attend the service in johannesburg and moon and british prime minister oland and oprah and bono will go to the memorial and expected to draw 80,000 people and we have more on mandela's legacy from joe johannesburg. >> he lived in a rented room north of johannesburg but remembers what he had done for her life. >> he is our family and because now i'm getting pension. i have increase of pension through that man. >> reporter: in the first years of democracy with mandela as president a new world beconed even in the darkest township of life and they watched as a government-funded heritage center was built to benefit the community and the famous former resident. at the entrance to the visitor center they are welcomed in 11 official language of south africa that won freedom in 1994 and yet to deliver significant economic benefits to millions of its citizens. the heritage center was never opened and heritage corner is nothing more than a drinking hole. and daughter carroll blames

. >> i think that anc is at cross roads at the moment and at that time mediva also pushes the anc to that cross road in some ways. we are going for elections next year, in a few months and we are going to have elections. this is a time that in a way which i regard what is happening in south africa is the normal progression of democracy. >> okay, let's actually go >> we are having problems again with our feed from johannesburg, obviously it's a stormy day and wondering if it's effecting our satellite but let's go back to talking about where south africa is today and where it was in the 90s and i want to ask you tony at what point as an african/american did you become conscious of nelson mandela's story? >> i was working here in new york. it was the middle 80s and i was working for entertainment tonight and not in news at the time and i was covering entertainment news for et and the guests and you will remember the great film with kevin klein and about the life and times of steven eco. >> a movement. >> a name that we have not heard much of as we remember the life of nelson mandela as