FORMER president Nelson Mandela’s final journey will start from Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria on Saturday, from where his body will be flown to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.
On Friday afternoon, Mandela family spokesman Lt-Gen Themba Matanzima said Mandela’s body would be flown on a military transport aircraft at 10.45am on Saturday and would land at Mthatha airport about two hours later.
Members of the family and the military will accompany the body.
At Mthatha airport the body, with the accompanying delegation, would be met by other members of the family, including members of the AbaThembu clan, and others who had been designated to help the family, said Lt-Gen Matanzima.
The body will proceed from the airport through the town and there will be two stops of about 15 minutes each for people to view the body.
According to Lt-Gen Matanzima, once the body had arrived at the Qunu homestead, the family would gather for a vigil over the body until the state funeral commences on Sunday, December 15.
Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon, the military held a dress rehearsal for the procession.
It included troops lining the sides of the roads and the firing of a ceremonial gun salute.
Mthatha Airport. Picture: GCIS
FORMER president Nelson Mandela’s final journey will start from Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria on Saturday, from where his body will be flown to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.
On Friday afternoon, Mandela family spokesman Lt-Gen Themba Matanzima said Mandela’s body would be flown on a military transport aircraft at 10.45am on Saturday and would land at Mthatha airport about two hours later.
Members of the family and the military will accompany the body.
At Mthatha airport the body, with the accompanying delegation, would be met by other members of the family, including members of the AbaThembu clan, and others who had been designated to help the family, said Lt-Gen Matanzima.
The body will proceed from the airport through the town and there will be two stops of about 15 minutes each for people to view the body.
According to Lt-Gen Matanzima, once the body had arrived at the Qunu homestead, the family would gather for a vigil over the body until the state funeral commences on Sunday, December 15.
Meanwhile, on Friday afternoon, the military held a dress rehearsal for the procession.
It included troops lining the sides of the roads and the firing of a ceremonial gun salute.
