JOHANNESBURG (AP) — In their first statement since his death, Nelson Mandela's family says they've "lost a great man, a son of the soil".
Lt Gen Temba Templeton Matanzima, a spokesman for the Mandela family, read the statement to journalists Saturday in Johannesburg.
Visitors sign the condolence register next to a statue of Nelson Mandela at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
The statement said: "The pillar of the royal Mandela family is no more with us physically, but his spirit is still with us."
The statement went on: "We have lost a great man, a son of the soil whose greatness in our family was in the simplicity of his nature in our midst — a caring family leader who made time for all and on that score we will miss him dearly."
Mandela died on Thursday at age 95.
Lt Gen Temba Templeton Matanzima, a spokesman for the Mandela family, read the statement to journalists Saturday in Johannesburg.
Visitors sign the condolence register next to a statue of Nelson Mandela at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
   Visitors sign the condolence register next to a statue of Nelson Mandela at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday. (Photo: AP) #slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}  1/1 |
The statement went on: "We have lost a great man, a son of the soil whose greatness in our family was in the simplicity of his nature in our midst — a caring family leader who made time for all and on that score we will miss him dearly."
Mandela died on Thursday at age 95.