Desmond Tutu will attend Nelson Mandela's funeral in Qunu

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/14/desmond-tutu-will-attend-nelson-mandela-funeral

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be among the scores of global dignitariesat the funeral of Nelson Mandela on Sunday after preparations for the event had looked set to be marred by a public spat between the cleric and the Nobel prize-winning cleric.

Some 4,000 people have been invited to attend the funeral of the anti-apartheid hero including family members, African leaders and several heads of states.

Tutu said earlier on Saturday he was not invited to attend and did not wish to 'gatecrash'. But later his Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation issued a brief statement, saying: "Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will be travelling to Qunu early tomorrow to attend Tata's funeral."

The Prince of Wales will also attend and is expected to arrive with the British high commissioner Judith Macgregor in Qunu, the remote village where the South African president grew up, for the service on Sunday morning.

Prominent US civil rights activist Reverend Jessie Jackson is also thought to be attending.

The prince is representing the Queen after Buckingham Palace confirmed that the 87-year-old would not make the journey to South Africa for the ceremonies to mark Mandela's death.

After the former statesman's death last week, Charles described Mandela as the "embodiment of courage and reconciliation" and said his passing had left "an immense void" in the lives of everyone who had been affected by his fight for justice and freedom.

The South African and British flags will be flown at half-mast above 10 Downing Street to mark Sunday's ceremony.

Mandela's body arrived in Qunu in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa on Saturday as large numbers of people lined the roads to pay their respects as the cortege passed by. His coffin, draped in the country's national flag, had earlier been carried from a farewell service in Pretoria and onto a military plane, escorted by two fighter jets.

Preparations for Mandela's funeral had threatened to be overshadowed by the dispute between the South African government and Tutu, one of the most prominent survivors in the long anti-apartheid struggle.

Tutu, a Nobel laureate who has strongly criticised the current government, said in a statement early on Saturday that he would not be attending Mr Mandela's funeral, even though he wishes to pay respects to his long-time friend. He said he was not invited – an apparent snub that the South African government denied.

"Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata [Mandela] to gatecrash what was billed as a private family funeral," Tutu had said.

"Had I or my office been informed that I would be welcome there is no way on earth that I would have missed it."

Tutu, 82, said he had cancelled his plans to fly to the Eastern Cape to attend the funeral after receiving no indication that his name was on the guest list or accreditation list.

However, Mac Maharaj, a spokesman for the South African presidency, said Tutu was on the guest list and that he hoped a solution would be found allowing him to attend.

At least 100,000 people saw Mandela's body lying in state in Pretoria over the last three days, but some had to be turned away.

The 95-year-old former leader, who was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing racist apartheid before emerging in 1990 to forge a new democratic South Africa, died on 5 December.

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