On the final leg of 10 days of mourning, Nelson Mandela's body was flown from the seat of government in Pretoria to his ancestral hometown of Quno on Saturday.
"A guard of honor carried his casket from the hearse onto the transport plane that flew the late South African statesman home to the Eastern Cape for burial on Sunday," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton tells our Newscast unit from Johannesburg. "The two-hour flight was preceded by a moving memorial, organized by his governing ANC Party."
With that, we'll leave you with a collection of photographs that tells the story:
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDIxMDkyNjUxMDE0NDY1Njg1NzRiOTRiYQ000))
1 of
— South African President Jacob Zuma, widow of late South African President Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel and Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Mandela Madikizela, right, attend a Farewell Service on Saturday at the Waterkloof air force base in Pretoria.
South African President Jacob Zuma, widow of late South African President Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel and Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Mandela Madikizela, right, attend a Farewell Service on Saturday at the Waterkloof air force base in Pretoria.
AFP / AFP/Getty Images
2 of
— Officers guard Mandela's coffin after the Farewell Service on Saturday.
Officers guard Mandela's coffin after the Farewell Service on Saturday.
Stephane De Sakutin / AFP/Getty Images
3 of
— A military aircraft carrying Mandela's body departs from Waterkloof military airbase for the Eastern Cape on Saturday in Pretoria, South Africa.
A military aircraft carrying Mandela's body departs from Waterkloof military airbase for the Eastern Cape on Saturday in Pretoria, South Africa.
Oli Scarff / Getty Images
4 of
— A man dances and sings while waiting for Mandela's funeral cortege in Mthatha, South Africa.
A man dances and sings while waiting for Mandela's funeral cortege in Mthatha, South Africa.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
5 of
— South Africans react after the hearse carrying Mandela's coffin drives by in Mthatha on Saturday. Mandela will embark on the final leg of his exceptional 95-year journey on Saturday, when his remains are returned to his rural childhood home in Qunu for traditional burial.
South Africans react after the hearse carrying Mandela's coffin drives by in Mthatha on Saturday. Mandela will embark on the final leg of his exceptional 95-year journey on Saturday, when his remains are returned to his rural childhood home in Qunu for traditional burial.
MARCO LONGARI / AFP/Getty Images
6 of
— People cheer as the hearse carrying Mandela's coffin drives through the streets of Mthatha Saturday on its way to Qunu, where he will be buried.
People cheer as the hearse carrying Mandela's coffin drives through the streets of Mthatha Saturday on its way to Qunu, where he will be buried.
FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP/Getty Images
7 of
— A girl waves a flag after former Mandela's funeral cortege moved past cheering crowds on its way to his family's rural home on Saturday in Mthatha, South Africa.
A girl waves a flag after former Mandela's funeral cortege moved past cheering crowds on its way to his family's rural home on Saturday in Mthatha, South Africa.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
8 of
— A woman in traditional clothes and face paint stands along the road awaiting the home coming of Mandela's remains in Qunu on Saturday.
A woman in traditional clothes and face paint stands along the road awaiting the home coming of Mandela's remains in Qunu on Saturday.
Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images
