Ten days of mourning for South Africa’s first black president ended on Sunday with the burial of Nelson Mandela at his ancestral home in Qunu.<br /><br />As the coffin was lowered into the grave, army helicopters flew over bearing the South African flag.<br /><br />The state funeral service was a mix of military pomp and traditional native rights, attended by relatives, political leaders, and foreign guests.<br /><br />The Nobel peace laureate, who was held in apartheid prisons for 27 years before emerging to preach forgiveness, was 95 when he died.<br />Candles for everyday of his life were lit in remembrance.<br /><br />But rehearsals have been carried out for one more ceremony. December 16 is a public holiday marking South Africa’s Reconciliation Day. <br /><br />This year a giant statue is to be unveiled by President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria to the man they called the father of the Rainbow Nation.
