. >> nelson mandela and the new president is no nelson mandela. south africa has some problems in front of of them. >> we'll take a break. after a break, this is al jazeera america. >> we are back, welcome back to the continuing coverage of the death of nelson mandela. look at this. this is the apollo theatre in harlem. >> that's beautiful. >> memory of nelson mandela. >> remember the days before apartheid was over, you could go to harlem and buy the stalls that the guys were selling, "free nelson mandela." it was nelson mandela central. >> i was actually in a room, in a theatre, and i can't remember the year. i've been trying to think of the year, and he was there. i saw stephen harper of canada, all of canada mourns with the family, and the citizens of south africa, the world had lost one of its great moral leaders. do we have a picture of nelson mandela the rugby team? >> yeah, there was a movie made about that. >> yes. >> this is just a very telling moment. black people in south africa, played soccer, that's the june form that he is wearing wh

everybody says nelson mandela. because he embodies that moral courage, greater even than physical courage, and that ability to put aside his own bitterness, resentness, sacrifice and all that he lost over those 27 years and all the majority of the people there lost in that undignified and appalling racist regime. and built a future of tolerance and democracy. and that is quite incredible. and so people really do say that he is their hero and tributes are being paid from, as you know, from down street, from all over the world. i spoke to f.w. de klerk, the former president. he said that he was a very, very good man to negotiate with. he really respected him. he was surprised the first time he met him because mandela was so tall and dignified and ram rod straight, he said. and they had a decent working relationship. not without its arguments and spats. >> certainly not without that. christiane, bernie, stand by. up next, there's a huge reaction on social media to nelson mandela's death. political figures and celebrit

nelson mandela married a gain. the bride was graca mandela, a union celebrated by all. >> my wife and i. >> a union that lasted for the rest of his life. >> my wife and i say thank you very much. >> but before he died there was a chance for the world to thank him. on a chilly winter's night nelson mandela made a last appearance at an event. acknowledging the crowd and stirring hearts as the world cup football final was held for the first time in africa. staging a number of miles away from the sow wetto home where nelson mandela lived. in recent times there was a fleeting sight of ambulances carrying him to and from hospital. a chest infection diagnosed when he was in prison continuing to reoccur. the images were broadcast on state television, a grinning jacob zuma visiting his presidential predecessor, unaware of what was going on around him. the only visible reaction to the flash of a camera as nelson mandela was thrown into the public domain. the images come and go. this will be left behind, the colours of a demo

until the last breath nelson mandela fought the odds as he had done all his life. >> nelson mandela's legacy were emblazoned in the sky all those years ago. above all the legacy is found in the minds of ordinary south africans, black and whid, the people he led to freedom. >> jessie duarte was nelson mandela's special assistant. she told us what it was like working with him. >> we had a good working relationship. madiba was a strict employee, but strict in the sense of much more strict on himself. he was punk tul -- punk tulle. he had great ideas about meeting people. he needed to meet the people of south africa and talk to them about the future and where we needed to go. he spent a great deal of time talking to the people at home and engaging as he did with many african leaders to talk about un iteming the countryman. madiba's greatest wish was to reunite the african continent and believes we should un item the people of south africa. in many ways he was a symbol of freedom in progress. on a personal note, you know that he's gone, but will live on in the hearts of many people. i was

nelson mandela. he says, it is time to let go. i said -- yes. he said, it is time to repeal the legislation. tavis: what is amazing is he calls you to tell you that. -- in thisntry country we did not take him off the terrorist list until -- after the nobel peace prize. i went into his house and he said i never thought you would be in my house. tavis: thank you both. i appreciate it. with the passing of nelson mandela, the world has lost a towering force for moral leadership and a kind and inspiring human being. his courage and strength in the face of unrelenting violence and his compassion for those who try to destroy him have inspired all of us who shared in his lifetime and will -- he will continue to inspire generations no doubt for years to come. i want to share a personal memory i have of the man. i was a young assistant to tom bradley and nelson mandela was coming to our city. for days prior i could not sleep through the night. mandela was coming to los angeles and i was plotting about how to position myself to meet him, shake his hand and

[applause] >> if any of you heard nelson mandela, you sounded just like nelson mandela. it was frightening. notice the great portrait of nelson mandela behind me at the top of the staircase. i will be lobbying soon to replace that with a more current photograph. san francisco is indeed blessed and has been for many, many years. and then somebody comes along and enhances that even more. and only one time has somebody been four times a cabinet member, closest thing we will ever have to a president is the chief of protocol's secretary. charlotte is the chief of protocol, george scultz is her secretary. so on her stairs, in this rotunda, charlotte will present to you her husband and secretary, george schultz. [applause] >> thank you charlotte for that brilliant introduction. we're here to mourn and celebrate the life of nelson mandela. i have on a dark suit and a bright tie to symbolize those sentiments. what did we make of his life? in reflection and thinking about it, he was a man of action he fought continuously, effectively, and as his effects grew, his african national

i think that spirit you're hearing outside nelson mandela's home is part of that notion that nelson mandela has transitioned to a different place. we almost think of him as a super human person. i've thought in those months when we were there in south africa, when he first went to the hospital over these weeks and months and through his wisdom he's been preparing the nation an his this world for this. and one of the things that will happen in the immediate af ma aftermath of his passing will be south africa coming together as nelson mandela wanted him to come together. i suspect those not outside singing tonight will hear the news but sad for a moment but it will bring the nation together sort of like the soccer matches did when the country hosted the world soccer cup a few years ago. i guess the one hope one would have is these remembrances of mandela will make a difference in his country today. he so much wanted his country to be united. >> we will join you in hoping for exactly that as dawn breaks across south africa, from washington. let's take a moment here and look back at this life i

gene, you met nelson mandela. take us back that day and share with us your feelings today on what turned out to be the last day of his life. >> i did meet nelson mandela. it was in 1994. it was an official visit to washington that he made and we invited him to lunch at "the washington post" and he accepted. so i was the foreign editor then and it's the kind of lunch that we'd have at "the washington post" in the company board room but we had to get a special big room with lots of tables because every top editor, any editor that had any claim to be in that room was going to be there and, in fact, today several of us were e-mailing because we're trying to pin down exactly what was that date and refresh our recollections. and everyone had this vivid recollection of the man and it was something more than dazzling charisma. it was more than that smile of his that was like sunshine when he trained it on you. but there was -- you know, this is what i wrote about him in the column i wrote for tomorrow. there was steel in

it quickly gathered pace ♪ free nelson mandela ♪ 21 years in captivity >> reporter: and nelson mandela became the most famous political prisoner on the planet. within months of his release he was holding peace talks and then in 1994 with apartheid abollished nelson mandela became president himself after south africa's first all race elections. >> i have fought very firmly against white domination. i have fought very firmly against black domination. i cherish the idea of the new south africa where all south africans are equal. >> reporter: nelson mandela served just one five year term but remained perhaps the most influential figure in south african politics. certainly the most loved for what he went through, the dignity he displayed, and the change he brought about. but typically for him, mandela gave all the credit to his fellow citizens. >> south africa pass the generations, but it is you, the people, who are the true heros. >> serving one term but very influential. our senior foreign correspondence. i'm being told he is not available right now. we do have a live reporter there on th

mandela. >> what in your view was nelson mandela's legacy? >> that person who had any other means of survival could fight the racism in this country, spend 27 years in prison and come back and not revenge on the people that emprisoned him, that i think for me that [ inaudible ] should not happen if we follow the legacy of what nelson mandela stood for. >> about half of the current population wasn't even born when nelson mandela was in power, but his ideas, visions and legacy live on. >> nicholas is in the capitol where people also revere mandela. >> this is one of the main arteries here, and it is named after nelson mandela. this road leads to this building, the national assembly. it's more than a symbol. it's a tribute to those who look for peace and dialogue before violence and conflict. wh nelson mandela came here in 1962 for the first time. and he came to get support - support -support -- [ technical difficulties ] >> here he is revered just like everywhere else in the world. he came here and went straight to an aland where slaves were ta

nelson mandela, mr. nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. >> reporter: it was a long walk nelson mandela took, a walk that lasted nearly a century, a walk to freedom and human dignity. a walk he ended up taking the whole world on along with him. >> on behalf of our rainbow nation, i welcome you all. >> reporter: nelson mandela towered over them. a moral and political leader of surpassing strength, implacable determination, and profound decency. >> i am a product of africa. and the long-cherished dream of a rebirth that can now be realized. so that all of our children may play in the sun. >> reporter: mandela was born in 1918 into the royal family of the tembu people, but he grew up under apartheid, the vicious system of racial segregation and oppression by which the white minority ruled south africa. it's hard today to imagine the pure evil of that system. abject poverty for blacks and severe restrictions on travel, education and employment. whites enjoyed all of the

nelson mandela's day is done. the news expected and still unwelcome reached us in the united states and suddenly our world became somber. our skies were lead ened. his day is done. >> schieffer: we're going to close our broadcast this morning with your poem, but i wanted to ask you, how did you come to write this? how did this come about and when did you do it? >> thank you. the state department approached me -- state department telephoned me when he was very sick about a year and half ago asked if i would write a poem -- write a tribute to him from my people, from the american people. and i said, yes. i wrote it, but also had to agree that i would not even speak about it or release it until 48 hours after he was actually dead and i agreed. so i did it and i sent it to them, to the state department. the state department sent a crew down and i recorded it. but then i never mentioned it again to anyone, including -- close friends and family members. i just wouldn't do it. >> schieffer: you didn't mention it to us, w

amen. ♪ nelson mandela nelson mandela ♪ nelson mandela [ singing in foreign language ] ♪ nelson mandela nelson mandela ♪ ♪ nelson mandela [ singing in foreign language ] ♪ [ singing in foreign language ] >> lester holt, this is coming after some of the organized prayer,alities musical interlude. >> and we'll soon be hearing from a friend and the family of nelson mandela here. you see that picture right there captures so much. that people of every color who have come to represent will be called a new south africa here. a true tribute to mandela, as you look across this crowd here that has withstood a steady light to moderate rain all morning long. we've also been watching, of course, brian, the collection of dignitaries and we can't really overstate the complexity of the operation of getting the celebrity, the politician, the world leaders in here safely. the south africans said they've been studying the plan for quite some time and working with their counterparts in the u.s. and other b countries to get everyo herere safely. we were on that issue of security -- we were able to get

they all played nelson mandela on the big screen. >> and this boy's courageous journey inspired nelson mandela, and enkozi johnson, packed arenas and captured a nation's heart with his simple message. >> we are all the same. >> announcer: keep it rig i want you to be kind.ff i want you to be smart. super smart. i want one thing in a doctor. i want you to be handsome. i want you to be awesome. i don't want you to look at the chart before you say hi...david. i want you to return my emails. i want you to keep me doing this for another sixty years. at kaiser permanente, we want you to choose the doctor that's right for you. find your perfect match at kp.org and thrive. >>> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, we bring you a different kind of story about nelson mandela who died yesterday at 95. it is already saturday morning in south africa, and overnight his flag-draped coffin began its journey back to his ancestral home to be buried. but long before he became a global father figure, when mandela was locked for decades in a prison cell, a loan l lone voice, protesting brutal ra

for nelson mandela, it was another day in the life of nelson mandela. he's meeting people who are so inspired by him and taken with what he has achieved, and all he does is make you feel comfortable, like you are the important one. >> it's good. tilt it down. >> the reflection. the portrait metaphor of "the man in the mirror" is a metaphor for south africa. his spirit. what he represents is in every single one of the people here. for the portrait it was strong for me that we needed to reflect upon ourselves about what nelson mandela had achieved, and nelson mandela's life. i think given access to shoot that portrait was a life-changing experience for the whole group. we were all very nervous. i photographed him a few times before, but not a proper portrait sitting. there's an intimacy to that. i looked up. all the crew were crying. the 2012 birthday shoot was a special shoot. sending that intimate time with the family and madeba. the family adore him and cherish the time they had with him. for many of the family they lost him for 27 years. to have this

mandela nelson mandela was known by many names. isixhosa, the name is troublemaker. nelson is the name given to him on the first day at school by his teacher, giving african children english names. the practice was influenced by british colonials who could not or would not pronounce african names. it is not known why the teacher chose than name. mandiba is a member of a clan, it is much more important than a survey, balls it refers to the ancestors. mandiba was a keefe who ruled in the 18th century. it is considered very polite to use someone's clan name. >> indeed, it is known he preferred to be referred to, you know, addressed with mandiba. >> we have been hearing that with colin powell and a lot of people who had contact with him over a period of time. paul clinton called him mandiba as well. >> something that struck me, if he truly wants to know who he is or his character was to hear him speak, you get a real sense of who he was came out. he was so tried to his traditional rural roots. he was a complex man, a deep man. we will

. >> talk about the life of nelson mandela, and what he means to so many people. >> nelson mandela is a symbol of hope, freedom, a time in this world, and in our country and theirs when equality did not s did not reign free and is a symbol for young americans growing up understanding him in history books and i had the pleasure of meeting him when i lived in south africa. i understood why he captured the hearts of a generation and world. >> there's the picture. tell us about that picture and what happened. >> there it is, there i am with reverend jessie jackson. he's taking the phone so the reverend can put his wife on the phone to give a hello. the morning i met former president nelson mandela. he spoke to me in an incredible voice that is unique and said, "morgan, are you here to visit me." he was reading four papers, one in africans, english, zulu. his mind was sharp. he was brilliant, vibrant, all the things you would expect. >> when you lived in south africa, what was it like when you were there? >> when i was there it was surprisingly still very racially tense. this is something

not only nelson mandela the political leader, not only nelson mandela the former president of south africa, but for nelson mandela, the father of the nation. nelson mandela put his life on the line to bring an end to apartheid and minority white dominance in the country. on thelooks back segregation that brought the country worldwide infamy. >> apartheid was efficiently born in 1948. it divided south african society into four races -- white, black, colored, asian. public places such as the beach and cinemas and hotels were largely reserved for whites. blacks were not allowed to vote or hold property in white areas. many black people were resettled .n reservations the government granted independence to four of them but then used the independence to strip many black south africans of their citizenship. economic and commercial needs required a black workforce, which cause many black families to be separated. it was a terrible system for family life. just look at what happens to black workers in the mines. they were all taken and were living in hostels next to the minds whether families -- whi

you for sharing nelson mandela with us. his struggle was your struggle. his triumph was your try you triumph. in through speeches both white and black south african s mourned around the country together. >> there is nothing that we can do more for this country. i just want to say thank you to him. >> reporter: mandela's vision of today's rainbow nation was formed when he was an activist in the think of south africa's apartheid rule. his multi cultural embrace was evidence with his friendship circle as world leaders paid thanks some using his clan name, madiba. >> like the south africans who mourn madiba with their chants, we proudly carry african blood in our veins. >> we stand proud of you, madiba, bringing venues of freedom, solidarity, equality, sacrifice, and human dignity. >> reporter: for all his life he has strived for the liberation of africa nations and championed the dignity of the african people. >> many honored mandela 's crusade for con sol days. >> there are many people who feel-- >> in 1961 after years of sta

nelson mandela touched so many, so deeply. he brought hope and we saw in him what we seek in ourselves. his life has been an inspiration to all who are changing the world for the better and his legacy has had the profound impact on our city and residence. san francisco mourns, as we have lost a friend and truly inspirational leader who never stopped fighting for equality and helped to empower communities everywhere. our hopes, thoughts and prayers are with the entire mandela family, the citizens of south africa and our friends around the world. it has been said that his passing was a mighty loss of a mighty life. we will continue to honor nelson mandela's legacy to help empower communities everywhere. we must never stop fighting for equality for all. his legacy goes on in each of us. thank you nelson mandela, our world has changed forever because of you. let us all stand together now and in the days ahead and follow in nelson mandela's footsteps, take action for what is right and inspire that kind of change everyday in our liv

nelson mandela was a passionate sports fan. he trained to be a boxer and understood the name of the game. he once said that sports has the power to change the world, the power to inspire and unite people in a way that little else does. and last night, the nba paid tribute to nelson mandela with a moment of silence. >> i remember as a kid my parents -- he was the one person who when you hear his name everything stops. he gets the ultimate respect from everybody. >> i think thing that sticks out about him is here he goes to jail for 27 years and comes out aet -- a better person, a better leader, and was able to make a sure difference in south africa. >> tiger woods and his late father earl had the privilege of meeting nelson mandela back in 1988. he said that mandela's aura had a lasting impact. >> he certainly had an impact on my life and certainly my father, and i think that time frame in which he came out, could have -- the country could have fallen apart, and he lead it to where it's at now, and, you know, he -- and the world

nelson mandela's home. thank you for staying up with us. appreciate you being with us. please stay with us. lots ahead. >>> we enter into a covenants in which all south africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall without any fear in their hearts. assured of their inalienable right to human dignity, a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world. electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪ like, scoring the perfect table? ♪ or getting a better seat? ♪ or let's say there's an accident. if you have esurance, you can use their mobile app to start a claim... upload a few photos... and get your money fast. maybe that doesn't make you a control freak. more like a control enthusiast. esurance. insurance for the modern world. now backed by allstate. clic

we see the pictures of nelson mandela. i cannot decide which was the best when he walked out of prison or raised his hand? >> the dancing is still. world cup dancing. >> when we return, we will hear from south africa's last apartheid president. >> f.w. de klerk and the nobel peace prides with nelson mandela. we talk to de klerk when we return. . hmm. mm-hmm. [ engine revs ] sisulu. s. >> it is coming up to 9:00 in the morning in south africa. welcome to our special edition of cnn newsroom, the world is mourning the death of nelson mandela. >> the former south african president and nobel prize laureat fell ill. he was 95, he proved he was strong in his youth, strong in middle age and a fighter to the end. >> he was ill for almost a year. the man who nelson mandela shares that '90-'93 nobel prize, he was the president of south africa in 1890. >> that is when he made the fateful decision to free the most political prisoner. de klerk spoke on phone. >> christian, it's a sad day, a sad moment. it is good to hear your voice agai

nelson mandela asked him to set up the nelson mandela rhodes focus and he's been a director for the last 10 years. you knew nelson mandela 23 years, coinciding with the moment he came out of prison. tell us the story of your first meeting. >> yes, thank you very much for letting me share my memories. everyone is finding it kath arctic. everyone is talking on the radios there. mine is that i was working with colleagues on a small antiapartheid newspaper called the weekly male. it was smuggled on to robin island and into the prison where the a.n.c. leadership were reading it. when he came out of prison a message came to me and my colleague at the "weekly mail", that he wanted us to interview him - every journalist's dream, especially a young and shallow one like myself. we did so. he expressed surprise the newspaper he was taking so seriously was run by children, but the relationship developed from there. i was a political writer, political editor and editor of the various newspapers, and i enjoyed an incredible relationship, a life-changing relationship. i would never be presum tuesday en

they are president nelson mandela. >> pelley: no american president was closer to nelson mandela that bill clinton. their terms in office in the 1990s overhappened. when mr. clinton got caught up in scandal mandela visiting the white house stood by him saying our morality does not allow us to desert our friends. recently we asked mr. clinton about their special bond. >> you met with nelson mandela more than any president. and i wonder what was your relationship in those days? >> well, we became good friends. on that end, ironically in 1992 i met him at the democratic convention in new york when i was being nominated for president. we had business to do. they were one of the countries that voluntarily gave up their nuclear arsenal. and in the process of that we became good personal friends. we used to do business together on the phone where their time difference was so great i would take the call at night. and it wasn't too late mandela would make me go get chelsea every time he called and he would talk to her and ask her if she was doing her homework. he was an enormous help to me dur

we live up to the ideas nelson mandela lived for. democracy being the key one. >> but still, he was modest without bitterness or revenge for his years of lost freedom, years that he used to study his oppressor and unite a movement. i don't just make things for a living i take pride in them. so when my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis was also on display, i'd had it. i finally had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, he prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body. in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, y

nelson mandela, who spent 27 years in prison. he was the first black elected president of stojakovic in 1994. let's learn more about his life. >> a freeman taking his first steps into a new south africa. >> from prisoner to president. nelson mandela's 1990 release from jail signaled the end of south africa's racist policy of apartheid. he would go on to become the untry's first true democratically elected leader. >> i, nelson mandela do here swear to be faithful to the republic of south africa. >> born to a chief of a small village, mandela was one of 13 children and the first member of his family to attend school. in the 1930's he began opposing authority and the authorities that made colored south africans second-class citizens. as white south africa became more aggressive, so did he. as the head of the armed wing of the african national congress, mandela led violent sabbatini town hall attacks and was arrested and tried in 1962. he would spend 27 years in jail, but he was never forgotten. eventually international and internal

such a full life led by nelson mandela. if you could speak about the escalating international pressure to release him back in 1990, what was that like? this must have been a real global effort. >> it was indeed. it began before that. during the reagan years, initially president reagan is very much against apartheid and he was led to the position finally of opposing apartheid by george schultz. a rising star and a strong presence on foreign policy than a senator from indiana. there was a global push for this from faith leaders and from anti-segregationists here in this country. we heard just now the secretary general of the united nations that no one has done more. no one in our era and generation has done more to fight discrimination than the moral leadership and example of this man who suffered for 27 years yet came out of prison with his wife winnie at his side and she has been imprisoned for 18 months at that time. in the anc, they came out of prison and marched in that march and from then on, his days in prison spoke of

the young nelson mandela hated to be beaten. >> nelson mandela, the same age played together. young nelson mandela showed qualities beyond those of his playmate. >> madeba was stubborn in his heydays. the following day he would be in your village challenging you to a round of stich fighting. i was heart broken at the time when he left us. >> we are always together at all times. >> that togetherness with friends is broken by the death of his father. he made arrangements for the future of his son. the cause of nelson mandela's life was drastic by the age of 9 he was forced to leave qunu. later he recalled i mourned less for my father to the place i left behind. >> this is where he sent. after an emotional journey with his mother, handing him over to live under the care of rooejened. this was a place where youngsters were groomed for greater things. >> he came like other young boys. to him it was in excitement. when it comes to the great place. the enlightment the enlightment was greater than at his home. >> as nelson mandela moved on, his early home in qunu was highly call viewe

an honor it was to step into the shoes of nelson mandela. my thoughts and prayers are with his family. at the united nations, silence. remembrance of his enormous impact. >> no one more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the united nations. nelson mandela showed what -- and given each one of us, if we believe. >> reporter: today he is remembered in every corner of the globe. the australian prime minister. >> nelson mandela was one of the great figures of africa. one of the great figures of the last century arguably. a truly great man. >> in canada where in 2001, mandela became the first honorary citizen of ottawa, the prime minister said the world has lost one of the great moral leaders. >> despite his long captainity, mr. mandela left prison with his mind closed to any settling of scores and his heart open to those he had fought against. >> mandela in his fight for equality influenced not just world leaders, but also the people of the world. >> it's been an inspiration for generations growing up. he stood for the civil rig

and nelson mandela's predecessor. so our movements go way back, almost 75 years together. >> hold one minute, ambassador young. i'm going to ask you to hold one minute. thank you charlene, i'm going to let you go. and i'm going to hold ambassador young. because joining us live from right outside of mandela's house in johannesburg, south africa, is nbc's ruhit kutru who's outside of the mandela home in south africa. what can you tell us is going on outside? >> reporter: well, al, there is an incredible crowd here. a gathering of perhaps a hundred people of all ages of black and white. a true representation of south africa. one interesting observation is perhaps how young this crowd is. i would estimate two-thirds of people who are less than 25 years old. people who have no memory of the darkest days of apartheid. but such is mandela's legacy that he means exactly the same thing to the young teenagers who are gathering here with flames singing songs from the history boo books, songs from the struggle to older people tha

it was nelson mandela who created that democracy. that is the miracle that astonished the world and made him such a world figure. he was well known while he was in prison, but when he came out of prison, there was a great question about what would happen. would there be a terrible bloodbath, with they get through the passage to democracy with apartheid? it was because of nelson mandela and his character that they did. the world recognized a peacemaker, and he developed a moral stature in the world that helped him bring south africa into the world community, help them reintegrate into the world terrible it aow role in various hot spots the world. he was very close to president bill clinton. frankly, he could not stand the policies of president george w. bush, which he saw as imperialistic. that was a bit of a public- relations problem for the bush white house. the election of barack obama, the kind of change towards a multiracial society that he saw in south africa as well. it was not just south africa that nelson mandela was revoluti

. >>> remembering nelson mandela. this morning the world remembering that man, mourning the loss of a legend. south africa's former president hailed for his courage and decency and message of equality. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. it is 5:00 in the east. >>> nelson mandela whose unbreakable will and unsurpassed courage brought an end to an era of white domination in south africa. he is dead this morning at the age of 95. mandela was such a global icon with larger than life legend who went from a prison cell to the presidency and he did it with such unmashed grace. i want to bring in robin curnow live from johannesburg. set the scene for us today, robin. >> the announcement was made just before midnight on thursday. so many south africans didn't really know that their icon had passed on. it was only when they woke up this morning that they perhaps looked at the newspapers or heard on the radio. much of this country is quite rule countryside and they would have seen headlines like

that's how president obama refers to nelson mandela. a man he met some eight years ago at a meeting here in washington, d.c. when obama was still a freshman senator from illinois. yesterday he spoke out about mande mandela's impact on his life. >> the day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when guided by their hopes and not by their fears. and like so many around the globe, i cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that nelson mandela set. >> joining me now is rick strength am. he collaborated on the ought buy all offy of nelson mandela. and also the author of mandela's ways on life, love and courage. thanks for joining us. the president will be heading over to south africa to pay his respects and america ago respects to nelson mandela. what should we be paying attention to? >> wolf, i think every world leader, including president obama wants to borrow a little bit from the halo of nelson mandela. but in the case of president obama, knicksed-race president, a man whose fare was from the

nelson mandela, nelson mandela, there's no one else like you. there's not much else to say, is there? it's an old antiapartheid struggle song. this song has carried through generations of activists in this country. it was no doubt illegal during the apartheid days. it was like a rallying cry to nelson many della when he was locked up in jail. nobody was seen his face. there was a sense he was cut off from the revolution. it became a war cry, a lament, it became a memory for people to sing over and over against the same words -- nelson mandela, nelson mandela, there's no one like you. in the last year particularly we've seen the call kind of a call of thanks. it was sung a lot outside the hospital when these night vigils like this emerged when he was battling that lung infection in opt for three months. it really has become such a simple acknowledgement of a man whose life was so great, so extraordinary, and as barack obama said, it was the arch of history that defines his life. also what i think is key about his images that you're seeing on your

more on your final thoughts on nelson mandela? >> it's not lost on me, we saw strikes of fast food workers in over 100 cities. and nelson mandela was a statesman and a lot of things, but he was also an organizer. he was sentenced to a five-year jail sentence in 1961 for organizing a three-day national strike of workers. this is before he got the life sentence. and i just want to remind viewers that it took thousands if not millions of ordinary people to do extraordinary things in south africa to lead to freedom, so we should absolutely honor nelson mandela and never forget his legacy but also recognize the names of folks that we'll never know who he helped to organize to stand up to lead to freedom and liberation in south africa. >> nelson mandela always said it looks impossible until it is done. joy reid, your thoughts? >> he changed the culture, my cultural orientation was a man from the congo. but he also changed the culture from popstars to sports celebrities. you had the whole world ice late south africa and agree to the mora

. >> thanks to nelson mandela. >> thanks to nelson mandela south africa's fight it kept mostly inside the ring. >> right here all of this. this is the equipment that nelson mandela wants to use. outback the security guard shows equipment that nelson mandela used. memories of a boxer that shows a different fight and why. >> president obama arrives in south africa on tuesday for what has been called the african funeral. 100,000 people are expected to attend the memorial attendance in johannesburg. part of nelson mandela's mandate was his willingness to forgive. one of his former guards said he couldn't help but become close. nelson mandela was my prisoner. he was my friend. like a father to me. he was someone you could look up to. i will miss him as a country and i will miss his voice. >> that was christo brand, nelson mandela's prison guard for 12 years, until his release in 1990. >> tsangses heating up over disputed islands in the east chaina sea. sea is expanding its zone to overlap one by china. it covers a rock off the southern coast. let's bring in harry fawcett. ing itself over t

nelson mandela was only 30. he soon became convinced peaceful demonstrations would never be enough to uproot the structure, so he helped form and run an armed grill ha movement. a campaign of bombings in materially 60's, led to his arrest along with others in the movement. convicted by spare as death sentence, he would send more than a quarter of a century, 27 years behind prison walls. 18 of those at the notorious robin island. the pump condemnation, and growing domestic unrest chipped away at apartheid until finally mandela was released from prison. it was february 11th, 1990, the streets flowed with joy. vowing never to go back about what he called the black held of apartheid. >> your commitment, and your discipline, has lift me to stand before you today. but freedom wasn't easy. negotiating to reform the government, had to play peace keeper, trying to temper escalating violence between his party and supporters of the freedom party, who wanted no part of negotiations with the government that had held them dow

nelson mandela was the face of reconciliation and a new beginning for south africa. brian is the human rights attorney in south africa part of the movement prior to his release from prison in 1991. reflected on the role he played once he was released. it was a time celebrated around the world. inside south africa, it was a precarious time. >> immediate contribution was to reach out and speak about reconciliation. >> i cherish the idea of south africa where all south africans are equal. >> far right wing politicians are prodding them. mandela convinced the supporters it would render africa a wasteland. >> being able to reach out to people and somehow connect humanity with theirs. and disarm, largely, his political opponents. >> while there was post apar tide violence, mandela was the right man at the right time. now with the face of the movement gone, there is an eye toward a future rooted in mandela's past. a future in the hands of young people like these college students in washington for the south afr

mandela nelson mandela ♪ >> reporter: nelson mandela, nelson mandela, there's no one like you. >> gave hope to the world. >> reporter: this morning, archbishop desmond tutu leading those around the world and in capetown in prayer for mandela. >> thank you for the gift of man de -- madiba. . >> reporter: today south africans paid tribute to father as they call him with makeshift memorials. december 5th now marks the day of south african's deepest sorrow. but it's also a day that the country's president said should mark their greatest determination to continue nelson mandela's legacy. >> to live as madiba has lived, to strive as he has strived and to not rest until we have realized his vision of a truly united south africa. >> reporter: many south africans today, there's a bittersweet sense, they're relieved that he's not suffering but they're sad that this man who created this nation has gone. when i think of it, when i talk to people, the two phrases that keep on coming up, all they're saying, all people here are saying is thank you and good-bye. >> robyn, thanks so much with starting

that is nelson mandela. that is his legacy. >> the minister of energy and mineral affairs for the first government. >> a team of inspectors is expected to arrive in iran to tour military facilities. it's the first time a team is able to visit the site. a long-standing deal to monitor the weapons is as likely to fail as it is to succeed. iran agreed to role back the enrichment of uranium used to build a nuclear bomb or generate nuclear energy. we have to not constantly assume that it's not possible far iran, like any country to change over time. it may not be likely. likelihood that we are able to arrive at the end state that i was describing earlier, i wouldn't say that it's more than 50/50. but we have to try. >> iran, the u.s. and five other world powers will meet in the coming days to discuss a 6 month agreement on the nuclear program. >> meanwhile, back in the u.s. a korean veteran returns home. reunited with his family he speaks out. >> and a message for president obama - about love for his country. >>

. >> remembering nelson mandela. the anti-apartheid activist and south african former president dies at 95. this morning he's being remembered as an icon of human rights. >> he no longer belongs to us. he belongs to the ages. captioning funded by cbs >>> this is the "cbs morning news" for friday, december 6th, 2013. good morning. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. well, this morning nelson mandela is being remembered for his resolve and ability to forgive, traits that helped peacefully end the brutal segregationist policy in his native south africa. south africa's first black president died yesterday at the age of 95 following a long illness. he was surrounded by his family. mandela's fight against apartheid made him an inspiration to millions, including president obama. >> i would study his words and his writings. the day he was released from prison, he gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they're guided by their hopes and not by their fears. >> when mandela died, crowds gathered throughout south

and on february 11th, 1990, nelson mandela emerged. [ speaking foreign language ]. >> nelson mandela speaks after 27 years. >> progress and fellow south africans i greet you all in the name of peace. democratic and freedom for all. i stand here before you not as a profit, but as a humble servant for you, the people. >> after 27 years in prison, when nelson mandela was released, he led the negotiations for the anc for the end of apartheid and apartheid was dismentaled. in 1994, nelson mandela was elected the first president of south africa in the first election ever held in that country where all adult citizens were welcome to vote regardless of race. in voting that took three days, april 27th is now a national holiday in south africa. it's called freedom day. and when it came time to sign the new constitution for south africa, which eliminated all vestiges of law by race, president nelson mandela went to sharpville to sign the constitution. today, nelson mandela died at home. his family says it was his wish to be buried in the town that he was born. joining us now is congressman lewi

some of the staff members of the nelson mandela foundation have served nelson mandela for over 20 years. it's encouraging to them to see how they have pulled together in the last ten days. we're hoping that we at the nelson mandela foundation together with the other two legacy institutions, nelson mandela children's fund and the mandela house foundation will help keep the legacy alive. >> reporter: we've had much talk of the legacy over this mourning period. what is the tangible legacy that you all see through organizations like yours? >> you look at madiba loved children, for example, and the work of the nelson mandela children's fund, it's important that we support their work to ensure that the children are treated well, that we don't have stories of children that are raped. that we have stories of children that go missing. those things then get reduced. in terms of the mandela foundation, there's issues of leadership in the continent. if we can have a change in terms of how the continent leads, where leaders stay forever, we can then have the legacy of mandela. then in the nelson man

nelson mandela, nelson mandela. [cheers and applause] this song is one of the most accurate descriptions of this icon, the founding -- democratic south africa. the old separation movement in the continent. his passing meant an unprecedented outpouring across the world. yet this administration, admiration and celebration. everyone has had a nelson mandela moment. let us begin before by thinkian all heads of state international delegations, we extend our deepest gratitude to for the message for condolences that we continue to receive. be nelson mandela family, south african people and the african continent feels stronger today because we are being completed by millions throughout the world. .. the people and their leaders in an effort to halt the forward march, ordinary forms of organizations would be rendered impossible, but the spirit of the people cannot be quenched until victory is won. the cycle became much about life. and the rest has changed. in the 1940s, the long walk to freedom, it became a volunteer in chie

they all played nelson mandela on the big screen. >> and this boy's courageous journey inspired nelson mandela, and enkozi johnson, packed arenas and captured a nation's heart with his simple message. >> we are all the same. >> announcer: >>> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, we bring you a different kind of story about nelson mandela who died yesterday at 95. it is already saturday morning in south africa, and overnight his flag-draped coffin began its journey back to his ancestral home to be buried. but long before he became a global father figure, when mandela was locked for decades in a prison cell, a loan l lone voice, protesting brutal racial policies. this broadcast made a commitment to cover his struggle when few others were. "nightline" has been there every step of the way on his long walk to freedom. here's abc's john donvan with our story. >> in the epic that is the story of nelson mandela as south africa, a small but important chapter happened to have been played by an american news program. ♪ this one, "nightline." on a february afternoon in 1990, tv stati

nelson mandela. saying, "meeting nelson mandela at his house in johannesburg was a truly memorable moment in life for me. he was an angel." >>> and as we pay tribute to nelson mandela, a celebration of his life. >> truly. these artists are coming out more and more throughout the entire day we get updates via e-mail of who was tweeting out next. presidents tweeting out and not only the people who are in hollywood. of course we leave you with one example of the way his life inspired artists everywhere. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> if you are like us, your facebook and twitter feeds are filling up with quotesnelson >>> if you are like us, your facebook and twitter feeds are filling up with quotes by nelson mandela. >> his words inspired justice in his own nation and the better part of the last century they moved men and women just about everywhere. here's nelson mandela in his own words. >> south africa is a -- there's room for all the various races in this country. to spend 27 years at the

nelson mandela lived for that ideal and he made it real. to achieve more than could be expected of any man. and today he's gone home and we've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. he no longer belongs to us. he belongs to the ages. through his fierce dignity and unbending welfare sacrificing his owning live for the freedom of others, madiba, sacrificed, for others, in the belief that human beings can change for the better, reconcile those who jailed him, set an example that all humanity should aspire to where in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. and the fact that he did it all with grace and with humor and ability to acknowledge his own impeimperfections, only makes te man more remarkable. he set once, i'm not a saint, unless you consider a saint a sinner who keeps on trying. i'm one of the countless millions who draw inspiration from nelso nelson mandela's lif. my very first political action, the very first thing i ever did that involv

it says nelson mandela, 1918-2013. he changed our world. i'm standing here next to this gentleman for a reason. he is the in-house cultural director and tour guide for the apollo. you were here when nelson mandela visited in 1990. what was that like? >> i was so blessed to be a part of the hundreds of thousands of people that were here to welcome nelson mandela to harlem. it was a very emotional time for me. a very spiritual -- it felt like a spiritual time. >> he felt a connection here. i live in the neighborhood. there are many africans, a place they call little africa not far from here. >> on 116th street between madison, they have little african shops, african restaurants, african culture. litz africa. >> and he was surprised to see so many south africans living here. >> that's troofl he saw so many black people here. harlem is the central of black culture and he knew where he was at. he knew exactly where a lot of the people he wanted to see were. >> thank you very much. and they're here right now. they have marquis there contemplating

nelson mandela. you are the subject of today's show. and he goes, oh, all right. >> she credits mandela as the inspiration for her school for girls in south africa. our coverage of nelson mandela's life and death continues later this half hour as we hear from mandela's jailer who describes their unusual and long-lasting friendship. you want to keep it here on abc news all morning long. >>> all right. we will turn to other major headlines beginning with something of a reversal by the white house involving the president's uncle who had been facing deportation from the u.s. omar and the president had never met but they said he lived with him three weeks while attending law school. it came after the judge ruled he could stay ignoring a deportationing order two decades ago. >>> libyan government says so far no one claimed responsibility for shooting an american teacher to death as he jogged through the streets of benghazi. despite threats. he chose to stay and teach high school chemistry. his wife and son