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Nelson Mandela's state funeral: In pictures

Nelson Mandela was laid to rest following a short graveside sermon by Bishop Siwa, who said: "Yours was truly a long walk to freedom and now you have achieved the ultimate freedom in the bosom of your maker, God almighty."

A marching platoon of the presidential guard, wearing green ceremonial uniforms and carrying rifles with fixed bayonets, escorted the coffin, which had been transferred to a gun carriage, to the burial site.

At the end of the memorial ceremony a military guard of honour carried Mr Mandela's coffin, draped in the South African flag, out of the marquee as the audience sang.

Nelson Mandela spent much of his childhood in the small, Eastern Cape village of Qunu - a place he chose to return to after his release from prison. The ceremony was held in a marquee constructed for the event.

The President of South Africa Jacob Zuma began his address in song and was joined by the audience. He went on to say. "We wish today to express two simple words: thank you. Thank you for being everything that we wanted and needed in a leader during a difficult time in our lives. Whilst the long walk to freedom has ended in the physical sense our own journey continues."

Following his speech President Zuma received thanks from Mr Mandela's former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

To loud applause Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's founding president, jogged to the stage to make an unscheduled address. He said: "This great son of the world, not only South African… Madiba showing us the way, whether you're white, black, yellow or brown, you're all God's children. Come together, work together and God will show you the way."

Mr Mandela's granddaughter Nandi recounted stories and anecdotes of her grandfather's family life. "He was a true servant of the people, his mission in life was to make lives better," she says. "He truly cared for his family and children."

Malawian President Joyce Banda paid tribute to Mr Mandela's former wife Winnie and his widow Graca Machel (pictured). "The love and tolerance you have demonstrated before the whole world at the funeral shows us that you are prepared to continue with his ideals."

Outside the marquee people gathered to watch the ceremony on big screens.

In Johannesburg mourners continued to gather outside the Mr Mandela's former home...

Some laid flowers and held portraits...

Others sang and danced to celebrate the life of Mr Mandela.

Anti-apartheid activist and close friend of Mr Mandela Ahmed Kathrada made a very moving tribute. He said: "Farewell my dear brother, my mentor, my leader... My life is in a void and I don't know who to turn to."

Across the nation many, like this family in Soweto, watched the funeral service on television.

After the two-hour service, Mr Mandela's Thembu community will conduct a private traditional Xhosa ceremony - including songs and poems about Mr Mandela's life and his achievements.

Nelson Mandela's former wife Winnie Mandela Madikizela (left) and his widow Graca Machel watched as Mr Mandela's coffin arrived at the white marquee.

Inside the marquee, Nelson Mandela's portrait had been placed behind 95 candles, representing one for each year of the late president's life.

Former South African President Mbeki was greeted by ANC supporters as he arrived.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu - a long-time friend of Nelson Mandela - was also there, having earlier said he had cancelled his flight as he had not received an invitation.

Nelson Mandela's daughter Makaziwe told the BBC earlier in the week that the former president's family gathered around him to say goodbye in his final hours. She is seen here arriving for the funeral in Qunu.

Shembe priest Michael Notychanga prayed in the direction of the home of former Mr Mandela.

Amongst those attending were US talk show host Oprah Winfrey and her husband Stedman Graham and English businessman Richard Branson (right).

The South African National Defence Forces fired ceremonial cannons as the body of Nelson Mandela was taken from the family home to the funeral marquee.

The coffin arrived with a military escort.

The gun carriage carrying Mr Mandela's body began its journey to the marquee, signalling the start of singing, and speeches reflecting on the life and achievements of Mr Mandela.

Children waited outside their home for the cortege to pass.

Members of the South African Navy lined the road from the Mandela family house to his burial site in Qunu.

Since his death on 5 December aged 95, many more have paid their respects. Mr Mandela has been hailed as "a giant of history" for his fight against apartheid.

Early on Sunday morning people made their way to Qunu.

 

Following a week of commemorations Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black leader, is to be buried in his ancestral home in Qunu. Across South Africa people lit candles in his memory on the eve of the funeral.

Nakaaya has a baby boy

Now a mother. Singer Naakaya Sumari. 

Dar es Salaam. R&B-hip hop singer Nakaaya Sumari is now officially a mother.

Born on September 3, 1982, in Arusha Tanzania, Nakaaya gave birth to a baby boy Kai Samuel on October 5 this year.

Nakaaya, who was also a featured star of the African Great Lakes region’s first reality TV show called Tusker Project Fame went to post the photos of his newborn on Instagram  which attracted 114 likes.

“On the 5th of October, God blessed me with a son.  I named him Kai Samuel.  For he is King.  I too get be called a mother, it is the best feeling in the world, may our Father in Heaven shield you my son, and may you serve Him all of your days, in Jesus’ name”, she wrote. (Edward Qorro)

Zitto now faces court over Swiss billions ‘lies’

Mr Zitto Kabwe (Kigoma North-Chadema).PHOTO|FILE

Dodoma. The government said yesterday it intends to file a case against Mr Zitto Kabwe (Kigoma North-Chadema) for allegedly lying about the billions of shillings stashed away in Switzerland.

Attorney General Frederick Werema said in Parliament that Mr Kabwe misled the House and the special committee formed to investigate the matter.

He said Mr Kabwe has no tangible evidence and that what he has been claiming in and outside the parliament were “all lies”.

Mr Kabwe has repeatedly alleged that about Sh300 billion of taxpayers’ money is stashed away in Swiss banks and more than Sh1 trillion in Jersey Islands, but the government is not willing to recover the cash.

But yesterday the AG, who was winding up debates on reports tabled by various parliamentary committees, said the committee formed to probe Mr Kabwe’s allegations, was doing everything in its capacity to establish where the money was hidden and by whom.

However, Mr Werema said Mr Kabwe has so far failed to prove in Parliament and before the committee that what he has been claiming was true.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda stunned the House by saying he would be happy and relieved if the law makers were to move a vote of no confidence on him.

He was reacting to calls by some Members of Parliament that he should be sacked.

Mr Pinda said – as he was fielding responding to questions from MPs – that this would save him a lot of energy and time that he has dedicated to serve the government and the nation.

“If you decide to judge this PM by looking at (the performance of) two or three ministries alone you will be misjudging him. I am an overall supervisor of more than 20 ministries and it is my conviction that most of these have been performing well.

“But, if you initiate a vote of no confidence and other MPs support the motion, I am ready to face the music,” Mr Pinda said when reacting to a question asked by Ms Rukia Kassim Ahmed (Special Seats – CUF).

Ms Kassim had gathered courage to ‘take the bull by the horns’ after several days of volleys of accusations over the incompetence of some ministers with several ministers suggesting that it was Mr Pinda who should be taken to task as the overall supervisor of the government.

Kikwete to speak at Mandela’s burial

A woman is overcome with grief after paying her last respects to former South African President Nelson Mandela as he lies in state at the Union Buildings yesterday. PHOTO | AFP

Dar/Pretoria. President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to speak at the Mandela burial ceremony in Qunu Village, South Africa on Sunday, representing a bloc of countries that supported freedom fighters in the struggle against apartheid.

Tanzania was at the helm of the Frontline States that threw their weight behind black people’s struggle against the racist and oppressive policies of white rulers in southern Africa.

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s leadership allowed the Umkotho we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC), to establish training camps in the country.

The first MK camps outside South Africa were established in 1963 and 1964 in Tanzania at Kongwa, Mbeya, Bagamoyo and Morogoro. Morogoro later became ANC’s headquarters in Tanzania. Mwalimu Nyerere was instrumental in the setting up of the anti-apartheid movement, together with Bishop Trevor Huddleston in the early 1960s.

State House spokesperson Premmy Kibanga yesterday confirmed to The Citizen that President Kikwete would indeed be in Qunu for the final internment of Mzee Mandela.

“He will travel on Friday (today) to South Africa and I am aware he’s among Heads of State who will speak at the burial on Sunday,” said Ms Kibanga.

President Kikwete was among nearly 100 global leaders who were in Johannesburg on Tuesday to pay tribute to the fallen anti-apartheid hero at the Soweto township.

He was in Nairobi yesterday attending Kenya’s 50th anniversary celebrations alongside 10 other presidents and heads of government.

South African government’s International Relations spokesperson Clayon Monyela told the media in Pretoria yesterday that despite the burial ceremony being a private, family event, numerous foreign dignitaries were also expected to attend.

Malawian President Joyce Banda is another African leader expected to speak at the funeral on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

Former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda and Rwandan President Paul Kagame will also be there.

Meanwhile, President Kikwete has admitted he had a very hard time paying last respects to Mandela on Wednesday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria because of his close personal attachment to the anti-apartheid hero. “It was hard to believe that what I was seeing was real; I had problems accepting the reality that body I was looking at was that of Madiba. It was a very difficult moment for me,” Kikwete said during an interview with South Africa Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) soon after paying his last respects.

Kenya loses Ksh73bn to crime, tax evasion in 10 years

Nairobi. Kenya has lost about Sh73 billion ($ 847 million) in crime, corruption, and tax evasion in a decade.

This is according to a new study published by Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a Washington, DC-based research and advocacy organisation.

The study that was carried out between 2002 and 2011, however, indicates that in 2006, Kenya had no case of illicit financial outflows as well as between 2008 and 2011.

It reveals that most of the activities took place in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 in the country.

The study also indicates that crime, corruption, and tax evasion drained $946.7 billion from the developing countries in 2011, 13.7 per cent more than 2010—when illicit financial outflows totalled $832.4 billion.

It also disclosed that nearly $6 trillion was stolen from developing countries in a decade between 2002 and 2011.

In East Africa, Uganda leads in the illicit financial outflows with accumulative of $7,373 million followed by Tanzania which had $4,441 million while Nigeria led in Africa with $119,784 million.

China, Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, India in declining order are biggest exporters of illicit capital over a decade while Sub-Saharan Africa suffers biggest illicit outflows.

The report, “Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2002-2011 is GFI’s 2013 annual update on the amount of money flowing out of developing economies as a result of crime, corruption and tax evasion.

Financial crisis

“As the world economy sputters along in the wake of the global financial crisis, the illicit underworld is thriving siphoning more and more money from developing countries each year,” said GFI President Raymond Baker.

He went on: “Anonymous shell companies, tax haven secrecy, and trade-based money laundering techniques drained nearly a trillion dollars from the world’s poorest in 2011, at a time when rich and poor nations alike are struggling to spur economic growth.”

Chadema members issue life threats to Slaa

 Some members of the main opposition party, Chadema, in Kigoma Region have issued an apparent threat to the life of the party’s secretary general, Dr Wilbroad Slaa, if he visits Kigoma urban as part of his ongoing tour of the western Tanzania.

Angered by the party’s leadership move to strip Kigoma North MP, Zitto Kabwe, of his deputy secretary general post, the members warned Dr Slaa, who is currently in Kasulu District, not to visit Kigoma urban if he wants to stay alive.

Speaking after demonstrations that began at Mwandiga suburb and ended at Mwanga Central grounds, the members called on the regional commissioner, Mr Issa Machibya and regional police commander Frasher Kashai to stop Dr Slaa’s tour of the region to save him from the planned assault.“We give the police six hours in advance to tell Dr Slaa that he is not welcome in Kigoma,” they warned, saying they were tired of being bulldozed by the party’s members hailing from Northern Zone regions. “Enough is enough, we don’t want him here,” they insisted.