mike hanna has more. >> the life of rolihlahla dalibhunga was one lived for others.ot for him the luxury of privacy, the ability of celebrating a moment away from the public eye. even when he arrived to bury his granddaughter killed in a car dent a camera was there. a smile as he greets friends, sadness set aside so they can be comforted. and a smile in final years, as on each birthday he was surrounded by family and friends, a children's choir on hands. a birthday song encompassing the love and gratitude of a nation. it was, in public, a life enjoyed. one in which nelson mandela was prepared to give up everything, including his freedom for what he believed. >> there are many people that feel it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and nonviolence against a government. and under defenseless people. >> it's a belief for which he spent 10,053 days in prison, time spent making this man and his cause stronger. nelson mandela was a face on a poster. his laws outlawed and found in books and faded footage. few in south africa ever saw. that changed in febr

mike hanna, al jazeera. >> there's some live pictures from mthatha in the eastern cape.eople there beginning to line the streets patiently waiting to see the casket carrying nelson mandela's body, which is on its way as we speak from pretoria. that will do it for "the news hour." stay with us. reflects on the life and legacy of nelson mandela. >> that spirit of nelson mandela is embedded deeply in the heart 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 chk [ singing ] >> the long walk to freedom and the final journey home. the a.n.c. pays one final tribute to manned -- nelson mandela on the eve of his burial. >> police identify the gunman behind the shooting on-friday. n

mike hanna is now reporting. >> reporter: mandela's name rings out in the church as they sing in praise. this is an occasion both joyful and solemn, mirroring the national reaction to the death of the celebrated south african leader. throughout the country it goes through churches, the service attended by the south african president jacob zuma accompanied bus mandela's former wife. they remember the men they affectionately knew as madiba. >> when i say we pray for the nation, we pray for us not to forget some of the values that madiba stood for, that he fought for, that he sacrificed his life for. we should include those in our reflections. >> reporter: a song, too, from a new generation. some of these children born free in the democracy that mandela had fought for. it's not just in the christian churches that prayers for mandela are held this sunday. at mosques and synagogues around the country, the faithful are gathering. at this event south africa's religious leaders. muslim, jewish and christian divided in faith but united in message. >> there's a long journey ahead, and we all have

. >> mike hanna live in johannesburg. just ahead we'll update the top stories of the day.esperate syrians search for alternatives ways to get out of the country as the fighting intensifies. >> and one step closer to regaining cricket's ashes series. we'll have a full sports in 20 minutes. >> hello again with the news hour. we have our top stories. 21 egyptian women and girls are expected to be freed from prison after some were given probation and others suspended sentences. they had been sentenced to 11 years in prison after protesting in alexandria two months ago. >>> after nearly 20 years the world trade organization has agreed to its first deal to international commerce. >> protect civilians from violence. at least 300 people have been killed in two days of fighting between rival militias. the crisis has been high on the agenda at a meeting of african leaders in paris. we're there following events for us. jackie within a last few minutes both the u.s. secretary general and president hoed land have been speaking the final declaration. the summit is out. what do they say?

. >>> mike hanna live in so wes sh africa. >>> we spoke to the son of martin luther king iii and the personal loss unique to these two families. >> as i think about president mandela, the first thing i think about is the gigantic human being who taught our nation and the world how to forgive. >> i remember the day when he arrived in atlanta where there were thousands and thousands of people to greet him. >> what it ry reminded my of, although positive, in 1968 at the time of my father's funeral there were thousands and thousands and thousands of people i that lined auburn aven. that was a very sad occasion. when mr. mandela came to atlanta it was a happy joyous occasion for people of atlanta and really certainly for people of our nation and around the world. >> how do you cope while everyone else is mourning? >> i think what we are sad about is the loss at the same token the confr contribution to the ws so incredible. he is now in a better place as we see in the christian tradition. he has gone home to rest with god. he has paid far more duce t duer world community than the average i

mike hanna in johannesburg has been watching the entire service with us. four hours, much longer than many people expected but full of substance and warming tributes. >> reporter: very much so. it was a funeral that had been planned for a long time despite the death being only ten days ago. it was what nelson mandela always insisted on, a traditional funeral. one in which his comrades came together. one in which his family came and were there. it was the funeral that nelson mandela had planned himself, it would appear, and yes, you had the members of state, the head of state making the eulogy, but that was proceeded of a struggle song, a song that was sung to freedom warriors. it was from a time when he operated as a trained guerrilla and a time where the spirit of the nation was. the time that he was a fighter, and many who has grown up since his release from prison 23 years ago have lost that history, the fact that this was a soldier not just a politician, not just an benign nobel peace prizewinner. jacob zuma singing that song at the beginning of his eu

mike hanna has more. >> the crowds have been gathering since early in the morning, snaking around insidehe grounds moving to the buses. it's not just inside here. take a look at this, the line is stretching into the road outside, moving for well over a kilometer down the road, peoplement that waiting patiently to get on the buses to see mandela's body. in 1994, there were scenes like this when south africans went to the polls to cast a vote, putting nelson mandela and his government in power. this is like 1994, isn't it, people went to vote for mandela, now they're going to go and see him. >> definitely. as south africans, we feel blessed to be a part of this group that are celebrating nelson mandela. he has been a great man to the country and world. for us to be part of this is one of the things that will come in. >> he gave us the freedom to choose to come here today, free doom to live our lives. he gave us a future. the very least we can do is to come today and pay our respects. >> heads of state from around the world have had their say. south africa's political leaders have made the

mike hanna looks back at the life of a man who became a global symbol of resistance. >> death does not diminish the memory of the smile or the twin twinkle in the eyes. outside the hospital they are content on celebrating a life as much as mourning his death. it was a life richly lived, one in which nelson mandela was prepared to give you everything, including his freedom, for what he believed. >> a lot of people feel it is futile for us to take peace and nonviolence, against a government whose apply is fighting unarmed people. >> they spent 10,053 days in prist. a some time that only made his cause stronger. nelson mandela was a place on the poster, his laws outlawed and found in books and footage that few in south africa saw. that changed in 1990 when he walked out of prison. among those the battle to wage apartheid. >> i have spoken about freedom in my lifetime. your struggle and your commitment has released me to stand before you today. >> nelson mandela led the negotiations with a government that kept him in prison for so long. finding f.w. de klerk a man with whom he could do bus

laying in state for the less likely time and he will be buried on the eastern cape on sunday and mike hannalive from pretoria and mike looks like huge numbers of people turning up i'm guessing from far and wide. >> yes, sue, well there is still intense activity at the union buildings in pretoria where nelson mandela's body is lying in state and tens of thousands over people are gathering at collection points in the city to bus in to view the casket however the government made a call on everybody to stop going to these collection points. they simply can't cope with the numbers of people who want to come here and view nelson mandela's casket and remember him for one last time and logistical issues at the moment and people are filing past the casket at two a minute and we are told by officers this will continue through the day but there are tens upon tens of thousands of people who will not be able to get here before the casket is moved at half pass 5:00 local time on this day. >> reporter: it sounds like tribal rituals around the coffin. >> well, yes, indeed, there is a mixture of protocols t

with more, mike hanna in johan he johanesbur g. >> prayers for a man who touched the lives of all.an awarenets of challenges to come. the growing death between rich and poor is the most brutal reminder that mandela's promise of a better life is still to be realized. >> i think the challenge we have doesn't necessarily need man dela. it needs us in south africa to face the reality if we don't do something very logical, the why unpeople are going to revolt because if they remain poor, and a few become richer, the young people will revolt. if the fault lines within south african society have been too clear in recent times, a labor dispute that resulted in the killing of more than 30 americana last year. many argue the root cause of such violence is an africans national congress government that has lost touch with those who put it in power. >> if you look at what has been happening over the last few years in terms of public violence, you can see that we have many, many people who don't feel represented by those in government. and they res on the to violence because they don't feel they

. >> reporter: well, we thank you, mike hanna with everything else enjoying the day of national reconciliationhe unveiling of the statute of the late nelson mandela. we have seen pouring rain in south africa. we have seen lowering skies and seen scutting clouds and everton will tell us what we have in store in that part of the world. >> it's not looking bad over the next couple of days and see the umbrellas used to keep the sun off the people in pretoria but one or two showers at the moment on the eastern side of south africa and it will be there over the next couple of days. the wet weather is further north and 80 millimeters of rain and half a month's worth of rain in 24 hours and that is the wettest weather over the next few days and zambia and zambeke and showers on the eastern side of south africa and not just through tuesday, a few showers through wednesday but pushing to the eastern cape and see the showers further north and staying rather stormy here and stormy and wintry weather on the eastern side of the middle east and pictures coming out of jordan where we see heavy snowfall, a goo

mike hanna sat with him to talk about the unique relationship. >> there was an excessive part of the government that get-nelson mandela in gaol, and he served under nelson mandela in the first democratic cabinet. as u.n. ambassador and foreign minister, it was his task to publicly defend the yisent of nelson mandela and other political opponents. privately he maintains he lobbied for nelson mandela's release. >> in 1982 i submitted a memorandum prepared by my department. and to the effect that nelson mandela ought to be released. we were making a bigger martyr of you every day stays in prison. that is international. and status. would be growing to an extent where he would not be able to handle it. eight years later nelson mandela became a free man. here you had a man who spent 27 years in prison and the day he was released. he displayed the - he displayed the cuban and energy to the person. who has been a president before. amazing what this idea, in the minds of people and for that matter, into world affairs. >> and central to the success of the process, that led to a peaceful transf

mike hanna reports from johannesburg. >> prayers for a man who touched the lives of all.in the void left by nelson mandela's death, an awareness of challenges to come. the growing gap between rich and poor is a reminder of nelson mandela's promise of a better life is to be realised. >> i think the challenge we have for nelson mandela is to face the reality that if we don't do something for everybody, the young people will revolt, because if they remain poor and others are richer then they revolt. >> the fault lines within south african society is all-too clear of it was a labour dispute ruling in the killing of 30 at the mary carna mine -- marikana mine. many argue that the root cause was a government losing touch with those that put it in power. >> if you look at what happened over the last few years in terms of public violence, you can see that we have many, many people that don't feel represented by those in government. and the resort to violence is because we don't. >> mounting criticism of the african national won yes - what seen is an inability to blame the past and

mike hanna looks back on the life of a man who became a global figure. >> death does not deminnish the memory of beaming smile or the twinkle in the eyes. outside the hospital where nelson mandela laid, the crowds have been intent on celebrating a life as much as mourning his death. it was a life richly lived, one in which nelson mandela was prepared to give up everything, including this freedom, for what he believed. >> many feel it is useless and futile for us to talk piece against a government who attacks unarm people. he spent $10,053 days in prison. for the public through decades. nelson mandela was a pace on a poster. few in south africa saw. in february 1990 he walked out of prison and returned to sow eto as a freeman. among his first words a tribute to those that fought. >> i have spoken about freedom in my lifetime. your struggle. your commitment, and your discipline. has released me to stand before you today. >> nelson mandela negotiated with a government in prison for so long. finding f.w. de klerk, a man with whom he could do business. it was a process threatened by rampant