nbc news correspondent roh rohit kachroo. all tonight we have seen people gathering to celebrate and sing celebrating the life of nelson mandela. while it's important to note that some will wake up to the sad news in the morning. >> reporter: that's right, brian. it is incredibly early in the morning here. almost 2:00. and many south africans haven't heard the news yet. but a few hundred of those who have came down here to nelson mande mandela's home. immediately they have gathered around us. they are singing songs from the anti-apartheid struggle. singing in all 12 languages, multi-cultural, multi-racial celebration of the rainbow nation. and one of the fascinating observations here is how young people are. like south africa itself, this crowd is young. the people here in the main have no memory of apartheid. but such is the legacy of nelson mandela, that he means almost as much to the youngsters as to the people who lived through apartheid. four hours ago president zuma broke the news to the nation and broke the hearts of m

>> thank you, rohit. rohit kachroo, a long overnight for him in south africa. >>> nelson mandela and a lot of people don't know this, had a royal birth as the son of a tribal chief but quickly gave up that life to try to throw off minority apartheid rule in south africa. nbc's keith miller reports on the world's most famous political prisoner. >> reporter: the south africa that nelson mandela was born into more than nine decades ago, will never be the same because of him. his life-long campaign for racial equality made him a hero to the people, and at one time, an an enemy of the state. mandela's tribal nail translates as the one who stirs up dust. mandela stirred up a storm fighting for democracy. >> it is an idea for which i am prepared to die. >> reporter: first arrested in 1962, mandela was eventually convicted of sabotaging conspiracy to overthrow the government. for 27 years prison bars confined the man, but not his cause. a generation that had never seen him, kept his campaign alive. in 1990, buckl

rohit, this was not entirely unexpected news, given mr. mandela's health. how are south africans reacting? >> reporter: mara this was predictable news but painful none theless, announced late at night just before midnight south african time. many millions of south africans are still waking up to learn the news the father of this nation passed away during yesterday evening. first the mood here at nelson mandela's suburban home was fairly somber. now it is incredibly cell la braer to. people are bringing flowers, cheering, singing songs from the anti-apartheid struggle. they're celebrating his life and celebrating the lives they can now lead as a result of his anti-apartheid struggle. many people wondering here precisely what will happen next? what will the state event be. they're waiting for details about a lying in state which is expected in the next few days and about a burial which one american diplomat described as being the biggest state burial in the world since that of winston churhill. >> celebration of a remarkable life, rohit kachroo, thank you for

joining us now is nbc news africa correspondent, rohit, thank you very much for being with us.t can you tell us just about the scene where you are and the reaction there? >> reporter: well, rachel, a quite extraordinary picture behind us. it's 4:00 a.m. in the morning here in south africa and we have a crowd of hundreds of people who haven't gone to sleeps, hundreds of people who, on the whole, fairly young. these are people who are part of the so-called born free generation, those who have no memory of apartheid, who were born after the birth of democracy in south africa, and they have come here not to mourn. i've not seen a single person here crying. they're all here to celebrate. and they're doing that by singing songs from the antiapartheid struggle, singing the national anthem, which includes all 12 languages of south africa, this sort of musical celebration of the rainbow nation of multi-cultural south africa. and they're going to keep going. this is a party and the mood, the expectation was one of mourning, but actually what people are celebrating here is not only the li

yes, rohit.he president of the united states said that the first political engagement he ever had in life was involved in anti-apartheid demonstrations as a college student. that's the kind of impact he's had globally. and it is that generation that is now many of us in our 50s and older. but you're telling me there are people half our age and younger that are out there that are celebrating his life tonight. >> reporter: that's absolutely right, al. and one of the really fascinating things about the reaction which is in its first few hours, the reaction to nelson mandela's death is the youth. the youth of this response. this is an incredibly young country where the majority of people have no memory of apartheid. it is something from the history books. it is something that they learn about in school or from their parents, perhaps. but president obama put it incredibly well in that statement earlier. and he used one of nelson mandela's best known phrases when he said i fought against white dominati

joining us now is nbc news africa correspondent, rohit, thank you very much for being with us.can you tell us just about the scene where you are and the reaction there? >> reporter: well, rachel, a quite extraordinary picture behind us. it's 4:00 a.m. in the morning here in south africa and we have a crowd of hundreds of people who haven't gone to sleeps, hundreds of people who, on the whole, fairly young. these are people who are part of the so-called born free generation, those who have no memory of apartheid, who were born after the birth of democracy in south africa, and they have come here not to mourn. i've not seen a single person here crying. they're all here to celebrate. and they're doing that by singing songs from the antiapartheid struggle, singing the national anthem, which includes all 12 languages of south africa, this sort of musical celebration of the rainbow nation of multi-cultural south africa. and they're going to keep going. this is a party and the mood, the expectation was one of mourning, but actually what people are celebrating here is not only the life

we begin our coverage with rohit kachroo of "independent television news" reporting from south africa. rted this was a day to mourn one life lost, and a day to mark the many lives made by nelson mandela. the gift of freedom is being celebratedded here. and even those lost in the sadness of his death know how much bleaker things might have been. >> i'm very, very sad, but today i'm sad and i don't know what can i say. >> from his home last night, his coffin was brought away draped in the rainbow colors. his pain is over. but the hurt is now all theirs. yet through all the blurry eyes and broken hearts, this nation was to the broken. as the old songs of the struggle from sung, through the night. and the new day brought the start of south africa's future. >> the sun will rise tomorrow. and the next day, and the next. it may not appear as bright as yesterday, but life will carry on. >> reporter: the man who freed nelson mandela, the last apartheid president of south africa spoke today of the political enemy who became a friend. >> he was a great man. he was a very special man. i think his

we have a report from rohit kachroo of "independent television news," who's in south africa. >> firstre was silence, then cheering as south africa's hero was driven through the streets, his coffin draped in the national flag. today his death seemed real. >> there will never be someone like nelson mandela. he has done a lot for us. >> and this is how much he is loved. a rush to see his body today. others told to return tomorrow. at the seat of government o the patient procession of the pan della family, inside his widow touched his casket. supported as she walked away. world leaders had to wait in line. they were just mourners today. the the man who freed the man who freed south africa. >> i'm very sad. yesterday he was a day for celebration. today is a day for mourning. >> reporter: then the gates were opened for everyone to seeman della's body. 19 years ago this is where nelson mandela was sworn in as president. now and for the next three days he will lie in state on presoisly the same spot. there is not enough space for the people who want to be here. many who traveled through the n