Mourning Mandela - Great and good honour a true hero

More than 90 world leaders are in South Africa for commemoration ceremonies in honour of Nelson Mandela, the man who went from prisoner to president armed with nothing more than his conscience, his courage, and a steely resolve to achieve freedom for his people.

It is an almost unprecedented gathering of the great and the good. Guests include Britain’s Prince Charles as well as celebrities such as Bono, Oprah Winfrey, and Naomi Campbell.

However, it is the confluence of the politically powerful that marks Mandela’s extraordinary influence on world affairs. Dozens of foreign heads of state or government are already in the country for a week-long series of tributes and church services.