Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013

South African leader and rights activist Nelson Mandela died at 20:50 on 05/12/13 he was in the company of his family and friends. He became South Africa's first African president having fought to bring democracy to his nation that had been rule by a European minority. The country was grant independence from Great Britain in 1931. Racial segregation was strengthened from 1948 as the National Party took control. South Africa declared itself a Republic in 1961 following a referendum in which only Europeans could vote. It left the Commonwealth but returned in the 1990s. In 1990 the ruling part (the National Party) removed the ban on political organisations such as the African National Congress (ANC). F.W. De Klerk negotiated with Nelson Mandela the transitions of policies and government in 1993. Universal elections were held in 1994, the ANC won a landslide. Nelson Mandela became the founding President of a democratic South Africa.

In his address to the South African Nation President Jacob Zuma said "His humility, his compassion, and his humanity earned him their love. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family. To them we owe a debt of gratitude.

They have sacrificed much and endured much so that our people could be free.

Our thoughts are with his wife Mrs Graca Machel, his former wife Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, with his children, his grand-children, his great grand-children and the entire family.

Our thoughts are with his friends, comrades and colleagues who fought alongside Madiba over the course of a lifetime of struggle.

Our thoughts are with the South African people who today mourn the loss of the one person who, more than any other, came to embody their sense of a common nationhood.

Our thoughts are with the millions of people across the world who embraced Madiba as their own, and who saw his cause as their cause.

This is the moment of our deepest sorrow.

Our nation has lost its greatest son."

Nelson Mandela will be given a state funeral. South Africa's flags are at half-mast and will remain at half-mast until his funeral.

Leader of the South African opposition party Helen Zille express her and her parties condolances saying "Today, South Africa lost the greatest son of its soil. Today the rainbow nation lost its father. Today, we are a nation united in grief."

Tributes were paid across the world to Nelson Mandela.

In the United States of American President Obama expressed his condolences to the people of South Africa and family and friends of Nelson Mandela. He said of Mr. Mandela "a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice."

In Ireland, An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore expressed his condolences "It is with deep sadness and regret that I learned tonight of the passing of Nelson Mandela, a man who holds an extraordinary place in the hearts of the Irish people...... Through our Embassy in Pretoria I have sent our deepest sympathies and condolences to Mr. Mandela’s family and to all of the people of South Africa."

The British Queen sent her condolences to Nelson Mandela saying she "remembers with great warmth her meetings with Mr. Mandela and sends her sincere condolences to his family and the people of South Africa at this very sad time."

The Secretary-General of the Commonweath of Nations, Kamalesh Sharma, describe Mandela as "a man of the Commonwealth who touched the world".

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, expressed his sadness at the passing of Nelson Mandela. He said "On behalf of the United Nations, I extend my deepest condolences to the people of South Africa and especially to Nelson Mandela’s family, and indeed our global family.”