Day of prayer for lost Mandela

South Africans have gathered in churches, mosques, temples and synagogues to remember Nelson Mandela.

SOUTH Africans flocked to houses of worship for a national day of prayer and reflection to honour former President Nelson Mandela, starting planned events that will culminate in what is expected to be one of the biggest funerals in modern times.

South African President Jacob Zuma, flanked by Mandela's ex-wife Winnie and his grandson Mandla, attended a church service at the Bryanston Methodist Church in Johnannesburg.

Mr Zuma said Mandela "stood for freedom and fought those who oppressed others".

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At the famous Regina Mundi Church that was near the epicentre of the Soweto 1976 against white rule, Father Sebastian Rossouw described Mandela as "moonlight,'' saying he offered a guiding light for South Africa. Hundreds of people attended mass in the small church that still bears the scars of the conflict.

"Madiba did not doubt the light,'' Rossouw said. "He paved the way for a better future, but he cannot do it alone.''

During the service, worshippers offered special prayers for the anti-apartheid leader and lit a candle in his honour in front of the altar.

A national memorial service will be held at Johannesburg 's 94,000-seat soccer stadium on Tuesday.

Scores of foreign leaders and other luminaries are expected to travel to South Africa to honour Mandela.

Among those who have already indicated that they will be coming to South Africa are US President Barack Obama and his two predecessors, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will also travel to Johannesburg for the memorial service, the United Nations said late Saturday.

According to British media reports, the Queen will not attend the memorial after being advised to scale back on long-haul travel. Prince Charles will likely attend in her place.

The commemorations will culminate in Mandela's burial on December 15 in Qunu - the rural village where he spent his early childhood.

Mr Zuma has stressed that Sunday's services should move beyond grief and openly celebrate the legacy of Mandela who died Thursday after a long illness, aged 95.

"We should, while mourning, also sing at the top of our voices, dance and do whatever we want to do, to celebrate the life of this outstanding revolutionary,'' Zuma said.

A young woman signs a memorial book at Mandela Square in Sandton City shopping centre. Source: Getty Images

The president was to attend prayers at a Methodist Church in a predominantly white Johannesburg neighbourhood, while former president Thabo Mbeki was to join prayers at a synagogue in the city.

A large congregation was also expected at the country's largest Catholic Church in the once blacks-only township of Soweto.

The prayers were to be echoed a continent away in London, where Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the world's 80 million Anglicans, will lead a remembrance service.

Mandela's health had been in serious decline for some time, but his death still came as a deep shock to South Africans whose attachment to their first black leader was profound and deeply personal.

A young boy and his sister lay flowers outside the home of South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. Source: AP

Since the news of his death broke, his Johannesburg residence has become something of a pilgrimage site, with thousands coming to pay private tribute.

The mood has been by turns sombre and celebratory, with some leaving floral tributes and lit candles, while others danced and sang in honour of the man they affectionately knew as Madiba.

"To me it's not a sad day. It's a day of hope, for us to be able to determine the future,'' said salesman Khabile Mgangame.

Flowers, candles and condolence messages are seen in Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg. Source: AP

Mandela's family compared the loss of their adored patriarch to the trauma of separation during his long incarceration in Robben Island.

"The pillar of the family is gone, just as he was away during that 27 painful years of imprisonment,'' family spokesman Temba Matanzima told journalists in Johannesburg on Saturday.

"His presence was like a baobab tree that provided a comforting shade that served as protection and security for us,'' he said - referring to the massive tree with its famously thick trunk.

On Tuesday around 80,000 people are expected to attend, with Obama, the official memorial service in the Soweto sports stadium that hosted the final of the 2010 World Cup.

Mandela's body will then lie in state for three days from Wednesday, with his coffin taken in a cortege through the streets of Pretoria each morning to allow as many people as possible to say farewell.

Crowds of people come to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela outside his Johannesburg home. Source: Getty Images

France's Francois Hollande will be among the other world leaders flying in over the next few days to pay their respects.

The organisational and security logistics are daunting, and the military has cancelled leave for troops and reservists to help with crowd control.

One of the towering figures of the 20th century, Mandela's reputation was truly global, and his obsequies look set to attract a unique gathering of the world's political and cultural elite.

Tributes have poured in from every conceivable quarter, from the worlds of sports and entertainment, and from North America and Israel to North Korea and the Palestinian Territories.

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