Sombre mood as public starts viewing Mandela's body

By Machua Koinange in Pretoria

South Africa: Thousands of South Africans yesterday lined the streets in Pretoria to watch the casket bearing the remains of former South African President Nelson Mandela pass by.

The casket was driven through the streets in a black hearse as the world continued mourning the anti-apartheid hero.

The casket had been transported from Johannesburg and the route had been elaborately laid out to allow the public to watch the solemn procession.

The hearse arrived at the Union Building during the early morning ceremony and was received by Mandla Mandela. The military band played music as the coffin was removed and carried into Parliament by senior armed forces personnel.

The weather was more receptive in contrast to the heavy downpour that drenched mourners at the FNB Stadium yesterday.

Traffic, however, was a total nightmare in Pretoria after major roads were closed.

The N14, which is the major artery leading from Johannesburg, was clogged with thousands of vehicles as citizens tried to get the Union Building, the seat of Parliament where Mandela’s body would later lie in state.

Radio stations provided morning traffic updates on road closures throughout Pretoria, with many presenters asking mourners to be patient as they waited to honour the fallen giant.

11,000 policemen

There were Over 11,000 policemen at hand to assist with crowd and traffic control. Members of the public had the option to take the train or buses to Pretoria — also known as Tswane.

On Madiba Street, the road was demarcated with barriers covering the inner two lanes of the four-lane highway which was reserved for the funeral procession.

The mood around the streets leading to the Union Building was reminiscent of yesterday’s stadium funeral service as the crowds  danced and waved placards bearing Mandela’s image.

Young men and women in ANC regalia dotted the corner of Stanza Bopape and Leyds street, moving up and down in a frenzy of song and dance. Young women sung liberations songs and chanted “Madiba” and “Tata” as they waited for the viewing to officially start at noon.

Military helicopters hovered above the union grounds park next to Leyds Street, the loud screaming of the aircraft rotors doing little to assuage the excitement and dance of the mourners below.

Police trucks and small vehicles were parked in the park and hundreds of policemen lined the route waiting for the public to start pouring into the Union Building.

The road leading to the park was humming with the crackle of police radio, static and the whine of sirens.

A section of the park had two tents dedicated exclusively to the South African Broadcasting Service (SABC), the only media house allowed to cover the events inside Parliament.

Journalists were barred from the Union Building and the Mandela family has requested that no pictures of Mandela’s body be taken.

Many people waited patiently, most times breaking into song and dance.

Many had arrived as early as 6:00 am to watch the procession and stayed back to wait for the official viewing.

VIPs were escorted into the building to allow for viewing, which was later opened to the public in the afternoon.

Military helicopters and police vehicles patrolled the city and streets and the sound of sirens blaring became as common as the hooting of frustrated drivers.

Some of the workers whose streets had been affected by the closures chose not to go work or reported late.