Mourners flock to say goodbye to Nelson Mandela

Tens of thousands of mourners, some breaking through police barriers, flocked to South Africa’s central government buildings yesterday to say a personal goodbye Nelson Mandela on the final day of his lying in state.

Such was the crush of people wanting to see Mandela’s body in the Union Buildings in the capital Pretoria, that the government had asked others to stay away from the park-and- ride facilities set up to take mourners to the area.

“We cannot guarantee that every person who is presently in the queues at the various centres will be given access to the Union Buildings,” the government said in a statement. At least 50,000 people were waiting at park-and-ride points by early Thursday morning.