Former South African President Nelson Mandela Dead At 95
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Nelson Mandela, the first Black president of South Africa, has died at the age of 95 at home.
Related: Nelson Mandela Rushed To Hospital, In ‘Serious Condition’
CNN reports South Africa’s father and aparthied’s nemesis Nelson Mandela has died.
“He is now resting. He is now at peace,” South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma said in a statement broadcast on news outlets. “Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father.”
“What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human,” the president said in his late-night address, according to CNN. “We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.”
Mandela will have a state funeral, CNN reports. Zuma ordered all flags in the nation to be flown at half-staff from Friday through that funeral.
Mandela has battled health issues in recent years and was often hospitalized. He was most recently hospitalized on June 8 for what the government said was a recurring lung infection.
FMR South African President Nelson Mandela Hospitalized for Lung Infection [VIDEO]
Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He immediately made it clear that he would not lead his people in seeking retribution for the centuries of injustice and pain.
Continue reading at NewsOne.com for more on this developing story.