WHILE many people still queued in Pretoria on Thursday to view the body of Nelson Mandela lying in state at the Union Buildings, capacity for the day was already reached by mid-afternoon, the government said.
"Unfortunately, it is just not possible for everyone who wants to see Madiba to come, because of the unprecedented number of people who came to the lying in state," said Government Communication and Information System chief policy and research director Tasneem Carrim.
Park-and-ride facilities to the Union Buildings closed just before 3pm. Dozens of buses travelling towards the seat of government stopped and people began getting off to take taxis back to the original park-and-ride points.
Ms Carrim said people who wanted to say farewell to Mandela should ideally be at park-and-ride facilities by 6am on Friday, the last day of the lying in state.
"We can’t tell if there will be a bigger turnout tomorrow, but every day we learn new lessons," she said. "The best thing is for people to come prepared. They must come with an umbrella and water."
Earlier, government spokeswoman Phumla Williams said between 12,000 and 14,000 people went to the Union Buildings on Wednesday. Figures for Thursday were still being determined.
The mood was sombre as people filed past Mandela’s coffin, some saluting, others bowing their heads and some gently waving as they caught their last glimpse of the former president. Four navy officers in white uniforms formed a guard of honour at opposite sides of the casket, not moving an inch.
South African National Defence Force personnel could be seen carrying senior citizens who struggled to climb the steps of the Union Buildings to get to the amphitheatre where Mandela’s body was on display.
Mandela died at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg, last Thursday at the age of 95.
His body will be transported to the Eastern Cape on Saturday. He will be laid to rest in a state funeral on Sunday in Qunu, where he spent much of his childhood.
President Jacob Zuma will on Monday unveil a 9m-high bronze statue of Mandela at the Union Buildings.
In depth: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918- 2013
News and views on the death, and life, of former president Nelson Mandela, with
tributes and photographsThe area where the statue will be erected was cordoned off on Thursday afternoon, with a fence covered in blue plastic. Workers could be seen welding the feet of the statue as it lay face down on the ground.
Monday, which is the Day of Reconciliation, also marks the commemoration of the centenary of the Union Buildings.
Sign-language debacle
Meanwhile, a South African sign-language interpreter accused of miming nonsense as world leaders paid tribute to Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg this week defended himself as a "champion" signer on Thursday, but said he had suffered a schizophrenic episode during the event.
Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, told The Star newspaper he started hearing voices and hallucinating while on stage, resulting in gestures that made no sense to outraged deaf people around the world.
"There was nothing I could do. I was alone in a very dangerous situation. I tried to control myself and not show the world what was going on. I am very sorry. It’s the situation I found myself in," he told the newspaper.
The government admitted Mr Jantjie was not a professional interpreter but played down security concerns at his sharing the podium with world leaders including US President Barack Obama.
"He was procured. He did not just rock up," Deputy Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Hendrietta Bopane-Zulu told a news conference. "Did a mistake happen? Yes. He became overwhelmed. He did not use the normal signs. We accept all that."
Mr Jantjie said he did not know what triggered the attack and said he took medication for his schizophrenia.
Footage from two large African National Congress (ANC) events last year shows Mr Jantjie signing on stage next to President Jacob Zuma, although the ruling party said it had no idea who he was.
The publicity surrounding Mr Jantjie’s unconventional gestures — experts said he did not know even basic signs such as "thank you" or "Mandela" — sparked a frenetic hunt for him and his employers.
Mr Jantjie said he worked for a company called SA Interpreters, hired by the ANC for Tuesday’s ceremony. Ms Bogopane-Zulu said the company’s management had fled the glare of publicity, with the suggestion that it had been providing sub-standard interpreters for some time.
"We managed to get hold of them, and then we spoke to them wanting some answers and they vanished into thin air," she said. "It’s a clear indication that over the years they have managed to get away with this."
Sapa and Reuters, with Khulekani Magubane
