including winnie mandela. >> winnie emerged in the darkest days of repression. as this voice of rebellion and standing up. >> reporter: but winnie pays a price for being that voice of rebellion. the police often raid her home, and she is frequently held in detention without being charged with crimes. there is also a growing tension among the youth of south africa, still straining under the shackles of apartheid. the government creates a new system of education. they force classes to be taught in afrikaans. the decision will prove disastrous. >> i was busy in my consulting rooms early morning of june the 16th, 1976. when i heard this hum, like the hum of bees. >> reporter: in the johannesburg township of soweto, students are marching against the new education measures. >> this is illegal. >> reporter: police are sent to quell the protests. they open fire on the students. >> from then on, soweto began to burn. >> reporter: news of the uprising spreads quickly throughout the country, as do other protests and riots. >> south africa was aflame. there was a struggle f

including winnie mandela. >> winnie emerged in the darkest days of repression. as this voice of rebellion and standing up. >> reporter: but winnie pays a price for being that voice of rebellion. the police often raid her home, and she is frequently held in detention without being charged with crimes. there is also a growing tension among the youth of south africa, still straining under the shackles of apartheid. the government creates a new system of education. they force classes to be taught in aftrikans. the decision will prove disastrous. >> i was busy in my consulting rooms early morning of june the 16th, 1976. when i heard this hum, like the hum of bees. >> reporter: in the johannesburg township of soweto, students are marching against the new education measures. >> this is illegal. >> reporter: police are sent to quell the protests. they open fire on the students. >> from then on, soweto began to burn. >> reporter: news of the uprising spreads quickly throughout the country, as do other protests and riots. >> south africa was aflame. there was a struggle f

>> winnie gave her her blessing. she gave her her blessing to play the part so she's the right foreign play the part, she'd done her home work, done her research and so to play in the way she saw fit. and the film doesn't shy away from any of the controversial flaws of the character we're portraying and i think for us it was about dropping the audience amongst them. so you're in 360 degree worlds that are real. they're alive. they are populated by men and women that lived there. the generals at the end who shrewd madiba, who shrewd idris, brought their own uniforms. the blur between what we were trying to make and trying to make it feel completely -- >> rose: you knew you had to have him? >> right from the beginning. yeah, he was my first choice. >> rose: because of the aura thing? >> not just the aura. >> rose: and he was a great actor? >> he's a good man. >> rose: he's a good man? >> a i'd heard he was a good man. >> rose: that what you've heard? >> and i love idris. he doesn't bring any baggage to a character of h

listen in to the response she is getti getting. >> some of them are chanting winnie, winnie. >> many say there would not be a nelson mandela without winnie mandela. >> absolutely. he was silent for 27 years and she took on the mantle and she was also jailed but she kept on going and apartheid regime knew they could get to her. she was brutalized by the apartheid even more so because they knew that would hurt mandela. now here is mandela's widow, graca. the only one to be married to two head of state. she was married to the president that was killed in a plane crash. this has been extraordinarily hard for all of these women and she does look very pained. he has been very sick the last six months. particularly we were told she was at his bedside particularly at hospital in pretoria every night. sometimes sleeping in a hospital bed next to him. it's a very powerful moment no doubt for these families because he comes from a divided family. you saw list machel sitting next to his daughter and they say they struggled but i think we are seeing now a sense of unity. >> let's listen in. ♪ >

winnie couldn't speak so it takes a village. i think she never stopped loving him. >> i am really struck by this sight of winnie. she looks so different. i understand it. i understand what an emotional fall this has been. i understand with all of the world media wanting comment to focus the mind. >> i am told by people with her that she has not stopped crying since he passed away. it is just that dramatic. none of us could get inside her head. it has been a long struggle. and look at that. that's what i'm talking about. that is the family that has been embracing one another throughout this period of mandela's illness. it is just an amazing sight. >> lester, tell us about the arrival of the guests within the stadium. >> reporter: it has been interesting because they are selectively showing some of what you are seeing on the jumbo tron. when we first saw winnie mandela i heard applause and also some cheers it sounded like.

winnie spent a year in solitary confinement. all of the time having to look after their two daughters. >> reporter: those girls were named zenanie and zindzi. >> prisoners were not allowed to see children under 16, and given that winnie mandela's children were both very little girls when he went to jail, that meant he had no contact with them for a very long time. >> reporter: but his older daughter was able to visit her father in prison -- >> and uh, i expected to hug my dad and everything else. i couldn't. it was a glass window, we kissed on the glass on the window, we spoke through a telephone. >> i think one of his deepest regrets is his failure as a husband, as a father, as a family man because of all those years in prison. i mean, he's a very domestic fellow. he loves children. >> reporter: while in jail mandela would try to show that love the only way he could. >> and he made a tremendous effort to communicate with his children through the letters. every birthday you would get a letter from dad, or you would get a card, a

winnie looking as drawn asthma shell. i think she never stopped loving him. >> i am really struck by this sight of winnie. she looks so different. i understand it, and i understand what an emotional haul this has been, and there is nothing like all the world's media here commenting and asking how you feel every minute to focus the mind. >> i have been told by different people that she has not stopped crying since he passed away. it has been a long struggle. surely -- oh, look at that. that's what i am talking about. that is the family that has been embracing one another throughout this period of mandela's illness, and it's an amazing sight. >> yeah, it is. >> lester holt, tell us about the reaction of the arrival of these past few guests within the stadium. >> you know, it has been very interesting, brian, because they are selectively showing some of what you are seeing on the jumbotron. when we first saw winnie mandela, i saw applause but it sounded like jeers, and michelle, there was a warm welcome as she popped up, and

>> i think winnie mandela had quite a lot to do with it. i think people underestimate the role that winnie mandela played in keeping mandela's name out there, keeping him in the forefront of the movement. remember, she also was banned. as his wife was seen as such. the head of already the anc youth league, he was the head of the armed wing. he had taken a leadership position in the party very early, from the '40s even, and through the '60s to tell his imprisonment. he could have easily been forgotten. >> the free nelson mandela movement also had part in our popular culture. >> it absolutely did. postcards, banners, people carried along the placards, but i want to reinforce the point that similar to nelson mandela, who was living but in prison, when dr. king died, he was not any more one of the ten most admired americans. many universities didn't want to have him lecture. no american book company really wanted to publish one of his books. he couldn't even get on the board of trustee of his own college until two years before he died. sure, mo

then he met winnie. >> you look at young pictures of winnie mandela, a physically gorgeous woman full of strength and pride -- >> she was an activist. >> an activist in her own right. at that moment in time, they clicked and became an indelible force. with the celebration of all the documentation of mandela being imprisoned for 27 years, sometimes credit is not given to winnie about what she had to endure. those early years of prison, they would go to her house at 2:00 in the morning, shake her down, stripped searcher. a lot of people don't remember you talk about courage and strength, she was in solitary confinement for 18 months. after 27 years in prison, when you grow apart, winnie came out. everyone wanted a piece of him. it had to be lonely for both of them. to this day, i think there is a very great love between the two of them. she is a great lady. all of a sudden, he is now 79- 80. the wedding comes with mrs. machel. >> the widow of the president of mozambique. did you meet her? >> yes. i was embarrassed because the first time i met her, i didn't realize i had met her before.

one of the biggest critics is winnie mandela. mike hannah went to meet her. >> winnie mandela is a potent force, a member of the a.n.c. executive committee and a member of parliament. her voice is deeply influential. she insists the struggle to which she dedicated a lifetime is not over. the battle against apartheid may have been run, but the establishment of democracy is to be achieved. >> we have made tremendous gains, it is true. we attained political freedom. i think we are still very, very far. even though we have these political gains. if you are a south african, you know that the situation, the political situation in the country today is far from what we fought for. >> what can be done? what areas do you think we need to address? >> we inherited the heels of apartheid. it will take time. we were bruised. the wrongs of the party will take another generation to rectify. then we shouldn't be complacent. the frustrations you see out there, when people are demonstrating, the eruptions taking place over the country, the people a

he never was able to really be a father to his children or a husband to winnie. that was, in some ways, one of the great tragedies of his life. >> teichner: in his absence, winnie took up the mantle of leadership and protest. >> amandla! >> amandla! >> teichner: by the '70s, the revolution that mandela had helped ignite had intensified, and this time it felt different. >> we had a new breed of children who were not going to be intimidated. >> teichner: in 1976, the township of soweto became their battleground and graveyard. 575 people were shot dead in the soweto uprising-- many of them, children. over the next decade, government tactics would grow beyond brutal. there was the so-called trojan horse incident. soldiers, hidden in a truck, emerged and opened fire on civilians. it was murder in broad daylight. the image captured by cbs news shocked the world. still, the massacres continued for years. there were countless innocent victims. finally, by the mid 1980s, the world had seen enough. the united states and other countries imposed economic sanctions against so

what has winnie said about the casting. >> winnie thought she was superb. and particularly, this movie, they tried to capture the real nelson. he was somewhat of a womanizer, very complicated and sometimes messy relationships with women. he was not unecotisty cal. in this movie it's much more, who is the real man, the passionate man. his humanity revealed. he spends a night on robin island in a cell the size of mandela's, he woke up the next day and was so angry. he wonders how he spent 18 years on this tiny cell this. is a more human look at nelson men della and his relationship with winnie mandela and the role she played in the struggle to end apartheid. >> it's interesting. nelson has seen the movie and liked it. winnie said he's not in a situation to see it. he's still very ill. he's not talking. he has tubes down his throat to drain the fluid in his lungs but winnie said he's not in a vegetative state. she's sure if he saw it he would like the movie. >> very interesting. nad yacht thank you. >> still to come, the old man wore tattered clothes and rode

winnie actually donated the furniture to one of the families around here. >> winnie gave it away. >> yes. and we request to have it back. as you can see from this photo, winnie was the one who was working here. >> who knows what history was made at this table. >> true. >> this home and its two small bedrooms now hold many of the awards given to the mandelas over the years. this is a copy of one of the last photographs taken of nelson mandela before he went to prison for 27 years. and he would come back here that he was truly free. this place would always be very special to nelson mandela. one more personal story, a few years ago i moderated a panel about leadership with four men who changed history. mickael gorbachev, jimmy carter, and willem de klerk. even if that rarefied company, he could point to not just great but iconic leadership. and they pointed to nelson mandela. i'm chris jansing. thomas roberts is up next. >> thank you. it's all about calling people to rise up. mandela did that. the agenda next hour, we continue speaking about nelson mande mandela. pictures from johannesb

she's a very eloquent, very charming person, winnie. her story has yet in its full been told. >> looking forward to seeing more and hearing more. thank you so much. we appreciate it. great perspective. wow. victor. >> thanks, christi, an icy winter storm disrupts life for millions. icicles on the roof, power lines on the ground. the forecast next. >> lets check in with sanjay gupta for what's coming up at 7:30 eastern. good morning, sanjay. >> cyst issuing, it's a statistic i talk about all the time. someone denies every 19 minutes from an accidental prescription drug overdose. most of these deaths, christi, involve painkillers. we're exposing one prominent prescription who some say was writing precipitations with reckless abandon. we have that and much more at the bottom of the hour. when i first started experiencing the pain, it's, it's hard to describe because you have a numbness... but yet you have the pain like thousands of needles sticking in your foot. it was progressively getting worse, and at that point i knew i had to do somet

>> you see the picture of him and his wife winnie on their wedding day. a great love story but heart break for nelson mandela. just after he leaves prison he discovers she has a lover and not long after she was divorced. >> let's be honest. if the reals and genders were reversed would we expect a man free for 27 years to be without comfort and support? i think this is a gender approach there. but of course it has to be heart breaking in the same way that ha harriett tubman. this is the untold story of the domestic -- by their separation. the film coming out has a powerful scene where he is reaching for winnie. you know, there's a tension, i haven't held your hand in -- i haven't held you in so long. there's an alienation that we might reasonably expect. >> that was a sacrifice, dr. frazier, that nelson mandela often spoke about. his greatest regrets were his failings to his family. yet for an entire nation we see them in the stadium he was called tata. >> that's right. he couldn't be the father to his immediate family. he tried to be that to his grandchil

on one of my trips talking to his second wife winnie in their home and talking with such passion about the early years and the struggle against apartheid and saying even then he had a bold vision and when i spoke to grass sa and i asked him what is your husband's legacy going to be and she said a visionary and the quality of his leadership. >> the quality of it. i remember his saying once that there is nothing more powerful than the phrase it is not right. >> and he wanted to right the wrongs and give each of us the feeling that we could do that, too. that's so powerful. >> that's right. in our lives, not just in the political world. >> right. >> thanks so much, robin. it's great that you are here with us tonight. >>> we want to go to south africa right now where not long ago president zuma, the president of the country with a simple sentence broke the news to his countrymen. >> our nation has lost its greatest son. >> was a nation absolute a life with fearlessness and forgiveness, a life that changed history. abc's alex marquardt is right there as south african's in the middle of the

that was winnie walking in to the stadium. just a moment ago, as you can see the memorial is more of a celebration really of the incredible life of nelson mandela. we have watched before coming on air pictures of people who have been singing and dancing, really joyfully. the stadium will be by the end of the day, and this is graca mandela. >> she is his widow, and clearly a day of sadness for his immediate family. we have seen a lot of celebration in the stadium and emotional farewell. he died thursday at the age of 95. thousands lined up outside the stadium. the dismand is so great african officials are sending the overflow crowds to three smaller stadiums. they'll have large video screens showing the event. s&b stadium - you recognise it's the largest stadium. it hosted the games in 2010 in the world cup, and it's where he gave his speech when he got out of robben island prison. he attended the closing ceremony, his health declined. >> on this day, presidents, prime ministers, dig nate ris. from 88 countries are on hand. if

. >> everyone rented a house across the street from winnie mandela's home in soweto, and there we were with our binoculars, sitting there. he is here yement. he isn't here yet. which one of us will be invited to come over and do the interview? dan rather was over there. in fact i know dan well. dan beat me. he was there first. i was there second. >> this is abc news "nightline," reporting from south africa. >> second maybe. >> tonight we have only one s s guest. nelson mandela. >> first to come to earth on the broadcast, the opening question went not to politics race or the future but to sports. >> he was surprised the other night with tyson? >> yes, very much surprised. i took it for granted that he would win. >> so did he. >> you went right to the boxing question. >> i did. >> what was your plan? >> i want to hit him with a question he really wasn't expecting. >> did you ever think of turning pro, turning professionally? >> no, never did. >> you were a good boxer? >> well i do not know. that its for others to say. >> nelson mandela was never an easy man to loosen up. >> long enough a

this was usually his then wife winnie mandela, familiar to many. they weren't allowed to even touch. he was only allowed two letters a year from his family. >> president obama and his family toured robben island during their first visit to south africa in june into word of any son mandela's death spread quickly around the world and the united states, of course. for many americans his death was like losing one of his own. >> president obama met the leader in 2005 and he and the first lady visited south africa in june but they were unable to meet with mandela due to his failing health. the president paid tribute to the falling icon counting himself among the millions influenced by mandela. >> the day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they're 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 will nelson mandela set. >> want to bring in andrew young, civil rights leader and former ambassador to the united nations. welcom

appeared -- years in prison, when you grow apart, winnie came out -- out. everyone wanted a piece of him. to this day, i think there is a very great love between the two of them. she is a great lady. all of a sudden, he is now 79- 80. me wedding comes with mrs. achel. >> the widow of the president of mozambique. did you meet her? >> yes. i was embarrassed because the first time i met her, i didn't realize i had met her before. i said something stupid -- [laughter] and it was like, we've met before. she was very gracious and very sweet. but what an amazing man mandela is. is i year, his birthday think the 18th of july and minus the 10th. the 10th. each year, i would send him a .essage, happy birthday, madiba when you are 1009i will be 100 and we will meet and have a drink. i will get to do that anymore. it's very sad. >> when was the last time you saw him? i guess it has been six or seven years, maybe. o'reilly'srt of tony advisory group heard -- group. >> the irish is this man -- businessman. >>) we used to go annually. we had two meetings, one in south afr

i am looking for a glimpse of nelson mandela and winnie myself. of all the celebrities and personalities, nelson mandela wanted to meet with mohamed ali and sydney party a -- sidney poitier, i went outside to insideali and poitier the mayor's office. my heart was beating so fast i went outside and secured them, as i had been told. doori opened the security that led to the mayor's office, and the entourage saw ali and them,r walking toward i cannot explain the dancing and the chance and the love and the joy and the full ecstasy in that hallway as we walked to nelson mandela and winnie mandela. it is not about the breath that we take but the moments that take our breath away, those precious memories. thise relieved -- relived countless times. when i remember this i get joy, unspeakable. i started friendships with two iconic americans, and my life and work have been greatly influenced and enriched by their friendship. with nelson mandela, i did not have a conversation with him, but i did get a handshake and a hug. what can be more inspiring for a 25-

the small two-bedroom home he shared with winnie. people were dancing in the streets, celebrating the life. they see him as their father and miss him and wish him the best in everything. >> lana zak, thank you for joining us this morning. >>> coming up, south africa and the world awakens this morning and there is only one big headline. >> a look at the morning papers coming up. [ male announcer ] meet mary. she loves to shop online with her debit card. and so does bill, an identity thief who stole mary's identity, took over her bank accounts, and stole her hard-earned money. unfortunately, millions of americans just like you learn all it may take is a little misplaced information to wreak havoc on your life. this is identity theft. and no one helps stop it better than lifelock. lifelock offers the most comprehensive identity theft protection available. if mary had lifelock's bank account alerts, she may have been notified before it was too late. lifelock's credit notification service is on the job 24/7. as soon as they detect a threa

her name is winnie. winnie rose. this is -- we had her passport photo taken. >> that's a passport photo? >> she's getting ready to go to the olympics. she's like i don't want to leave this country. >> reporter: obviously you're a proud dad and so much success has come your way. i know it was hard though. you haven't been shy about talking about the conceiving. >> we tried to have a baby for five years, and -- 5 1/2 years, which is -- it's just tough, not easy at all. and there's probably people out there that tried longer than that or are still trying and to them i say have hope and hang in there. whatever way it happens, it's so worth it. >> reporter: when you retire way down the road, what are you going to be doing? >> well, i always wanted to be a mailman. i just like -- i think that job is -- they get to wear shorts. they get to drive in that weird car that doesn't have a door on one side and you have the wheels on the other side. what, do you think you're in england. they have no rules. these guys have no rules.

. >> it remained wi winnie's homer a number of years did nelson mandela ever go back to the house? >> he go he spent a short while here when he came out of prison. the first thing he did was come home where he was greeted by hundredses of thousands of people from this particular area his wife remained here for much of the time he was in prison. she was removed from the house and banished to a remote town hundreds of miles away from johannesburg both as punishment and to remove her and mande mans influence his daughter continued to remain in the house i. it gives you a taste to see how bad and repressive that they were at that time. and a 17-year-old daughter left to fend for herself in this house. >> describe the impact mandela and his policies had on the townses liktowns like soweto. the image of mandela was out lied and the africa national congress was outlawed and the speeches of mandela were not heard by people in this township. it was something that was covered and pushed aside. for the vast multitude of south africans the first time they saw nelson mandela was when he walked

and the letters reveal that his passion for his wife winnie never waned. "what a masterpiece," he wrote after she sent him a picture of herself. "the picture has aroused all the tender feelings in me and softened the grimness that is all around. it has sharpened my longing for you and our sweet and peaceful home." >> winnie mandela: amandla! >> simon: winnie had become mandela's voice on the outside, and the apartheid regime came down on her with a vengeance. she was repeatedly thrown into jail and tortured. the struggle was now not only devastating their lives; their two young daughters had been effectively abandoned. mandela was incredibly blunt about what awaited them. "my darlings," he wrote, "once again, our beloved mommy has been arrested, and now she and daddy are away in jail. you may live like orphans, without your own home and parents. you will get no birthday or christmas parties, no presents or new dresses, no shoes or toys." what does it feel like reading it today? >> zindzi mandela: it takes me back to very difficult times. and, again, it's..

all of that stuff, winnie did. and the thing that's so impressive about it is nobody talks about it, that's number one. and number two, because she, in the end, did some things like -- that people say, well, why did she do that, some stuff at the end of her life, a few little things that some people don't like in her personal life and other stuff. well, if you had to live all those years doing all that, you might do a little something that's kind of shaky too. [laughter] and so, therefore, she shouldn't be denounced for that. the other thing to keep in mind is that nelson's second wife, she was a freedom fighter, was a freedom fighter before she married and have her own thing going for herself. i once wrote a paper about the civil rights movement male leaders and their, what their wives did and contributed to it. and most of the time the wives were doing most of the thinking, to tell you the truth. [laughter] but nobody was thinking about it. so this gender thing we have to appreciate what happened to people and th

and winnie the pooh is coming out in your face like this. and then, coming out, it was like, horrible. i had the feeling it reminded her of her journey through the birth canal. it was like, it was dark. and it was, you know. the light came out. and oh, she is not, not recovered. >> you know, i told him he was fired. he didn't respond. everybody is going to go on winnie the pooh's honey adventure. >> the movie is terrific. see a clip when we come back. it's called "saving mr. banks." top hanks, everyone. -- tom hanks, everyone. you don't want to wait to eat your raisins? no! why not? because they will turn into grapes. not sure that's the way it works. yes! are you competing for cutest kid right now? yes. and what place are you in? kindergarten! that's adorable. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. now is better. and at&t is the nation's fastest and now most reliable 4g lte network. ♪ a small amount evaporates. this is the angel's share, gone forever. but some liquid stays trapped deep inside the wood. this is the devil's cut. we've mad

to see winnie and grassa michelle paying tribute to a man this they loved. i have to say was very moving thing. >> i think when they were bringing in -- procession bringing him to the site, then they did the 1-gun salute and then jets started to fly above. i thought -- it was a lot of emotions about how do you express gratitude to a man of this magnitude. how do you express it in words. i think the feeling was overwhelming. >> i agree with that. bob, to anyone who has lost someone that they love, there is something about seeing the casket go in to the ground that that -- it hits you even though you know that moment is coming. it was a very painful thing to see. very painful. but at the same time people said, let's celebrate him that he came and did he his job and he did it well. while they said the long walk may be over, but the journey continues. i think people left there believe it or not feeling very uplifted and very inspired today. >> schieffer: forest whitaker, let me can you this. when did you first know about nelson mandela and what kind of an impact

his marriage to winnie mandella, a powerful political force was crumbling. the woman who supported him during incarceration was accused of having affairs and being linked to the murderous violence in south africa. they finally divorced. through it all they led the country to broader democracy and in 1994 nelson mandela voted for himself in a free election. he won and was inaugust rated as the first black president of his country. >> on this day, you took your destiny in your own hands. you decided that nothing could prevent you from exercising your hard-won right to elect a government of your choice. >> he served one term, leading reforms in child health care and education. modernizing infrastructure. and healing. >> his close relationship with leaders like muammar gaddafi and castro drew criticism, he still visited the white houses meeting with three sitting american properties. in 2002 george w. bush presented him with the presidential medal of freedom. barack obama met nelson mandela in 2005, when barack obama was a senator. after one term as president ne

. >> i had a chance to meet with him and winnie. he reminded us that our daughter ai my had been arrested three times as a college student for demonstrating against apartheid. obviously that formed an instant friendship. >> reporter: do you have any concerns about a post-nelson mandela south africa, even though he was out of a policy-making role, as you know, his presence, his aura made for an era here. >> i don't think there is any doubt that since nelson left office the harmony between black and white people here has gone down. and nelson was dealing with it in a very inspirational way, appealing both to black and white people here on an equal basis. i'm not sure his successors have been able to do it. >> reporter: what is it about the sadness? we knew this day would come. he was a 95-year-old man. and yet the signage on the streets thanking him. there's a sign asking, how did he change your world? it seems so sad here to have him gone. >> it is. you know, i've been impressed with the south african attitude toward nelson's death.

winnie on this side. a communication between a speaker. a maximum of a conversation, not a second more. every word bugged. >> obviously they didn't record all the prisoners, just nelson mandela without favour. it's difficult. if not impossible to guess what is going on inside. very, very difficult. naturally he must have felt he had only been like - he doesn't show it. >> outside the violence was increasing. nothing was known of the soweto uprising for three months when new arrivals at the prison brought the news and anger. >> they were impatient, brave, courageous. they wanted to fight physically against the wardens. we had to talk to them and dissuade them. and it took a bit of time, but we succeeded. >> was nelson mandela forceful in that record? >> very much so. he and mr sulu were great leaders. sosulo was a father-figure. they were a different type of figures. >> if sosulo was the father, what would nelson mandela be? >> the elder brother. >> the elder brother, in captivity, relevant but fine. challenging procedure. qualities that he

, weeks that he's been ill, winnie has been there by his side along with her two children, along with michelle's children and today, i'm hearing that they are all just devastated, even though they were prepared, there are a lot of tears in the household. expectation for the rest of the family to get there. they are the children of the first wife who said just this past week he was on his death bed but still being very strong. his grandson, who has had some trouble of his own, but he was supposed to appear in court today, but that got postponed so he could be at his grandfather's side. as many of the family as could be there are there and my understanding is that the daughter who is ambassador to argentina is on the way and was there earlier this summer when he was very ill and first in the hospital. the second daughter of winnie and the one who, when mandela was in prison, she is the one who read his letter to a crowd of thousands to keep on keeping on, to keep up the good fight. i think she was in her late teens or early 20s at the time. she has been at his side as have been the rest

former wife, winnie. >> as he closes his eyes we begin to believe that now we have someone who cared so much for us who will open our eyes going forward. >> among the mourners was mandela's former wife winnie. while his family revealed few details about mandela's death, a close friend says that mandela was not on life support but sleeping comfortably in his final hours. >>> here in the bay area san francisco's glide memorial church remembered mandela at its services today. john raymond shows us this is a joyous celebration of all that mandela was and that he accomplished. >> reporter: when san francisco's glide memorial church remembered nelson mandela at morning services, the only thing missing was sadness. e the outrage of his imprisonment become an irresistible forcr peaceful change in the tradn of ghandi and dr martin lutr king, jr. "being in prison for 27 yea, you hear me? twenty seven y! and then, walking out of th prison as a new person, completely." / mandela was already in his's on, but his ♪ one love let's get together now ♪ >> reporter: the mood was joyful as the child

winnie mandela remains a potent political force, a member of the anc's national executive committee and member of parliament, her voice is deeply influential. she insists the struggle in which she battled a lifetime is not over. the establishment of a prosperous democracy is still to be achieved. >> we have made tremendous gains. it is true. we have gained political freedom. tragically, i think we are still very, very far from what we fought for even though we have these political gains. if you are south african, you know that the situation, the political situation, in the country today is -- is far from what we fought for. >> what can be done? what areas do you think need to be addressed? >> we inherited the ills of apartheid, unfortunately, and it is still going to take us time. we were [ inaudible ] terribly by apartheid, and the wrongs of apartheid then are still going to take us another generation to rectify, but then we shouldn't be complacent. the frustrations you see out there when people are demonstrating every day, the receptions that are take place all over the country, the p

i believe this is winnie being escorted through. that's what sky news was repo reporting. >> reporter: i'm sorry? >> it looks like his wife is being escorted through to her seat. >> reporter: that's what i understand. that's what i understand. the ex-wife of nelson mandela, winnie mandela arriving at the stadium. >> his second wife. >> reporter: that's right. not his current wife or his widow shall i say. she was a figure in her own right. an anti-apartheid figure that got into her own set of trouble with the authorities and at the end of the day after 27 years in prison, just a short time after nelson mandela left prison, they separated. so the personal life of nelson mandela certainly did take it's toll. probably a good point to mention that. we haven't discussed that yet. he was considered the father of south africa, a global icon. but it was very tough for his family members. for his wives, for his children, for his grand children to get close to him. first of all, he was in prison. second of all he was so involved in so many is

the mandela family, mama winnie mandela is here. the former president of the republic of south africa and the former deputy president. we acknowledge the presence of cabinet member who is are here and members of the national executive committee of the ruling party, the traditional leaders who are also here, religious leaders also here, the chief justice, the speaker of parliament and the deputy speaker and the chairperson of the national provinces. >> if you're just joining us the pictures on your screen are for the funeral service of nelson mandela in the eastern cape of south africa. we want to bring in a guest standing by who knew nelson mandela well through the struggle against apartheid. he was an inmate with mandela. good to have you with us. this funeral service and the burial that shall follow is a careful balancing act between the official state protocol, the military honors and traditional aspect. talk to me about what has struck you, what stands out for you as you looked at these pictures of the last half an hour. >> the

winnie sat this time. a maximum of a 30 minute conversation, every word it of bugged. >> obviously they didn't record all the prisoners. they recorded nelson mandela without fail. it's difficult, if not impossible to guess what is going on inside. very, very difficult. naturally he must have felt things. i mean, after all, he was a human being like us, but he doesn't show it. >> outside the violence was increasing. nothing was known of the soweto uprising for three months, when new arrivals at the prison brought the news, and with it a new anger. >> they were impatient. they were very brave, courageous, but they wanted to fight. they wanted to fight physically in prison. against the warders. we had to talk to them and dissuade them. it took a bit of time, but we succeeded. >> was nelson mandela forceful in that regard? >> very much so. i mean, he and mr sulu were the leaders. susulo was the father-figure. they were different personalities. >> if you call susulo the father, what would nelson mandela be? >>

also, his marriage to winny mandela, a powerful political force herself was crumbling, the woman who supported him so publicly during the long years of incarceration was accused of having affaired and being linked to some of the violence in south africa. they finally deviced. through it all, he led the country through broader democracy, and in 1984, he was able to vote for himself in a free election. he won, and was inaugurated as the first black president of his country. >> on this day, you took destiny into your own hands. you decided that would nothing would stop you from electing the government of your choice. country's infrastructure. he met the white house, meeting with three sitting presidents. in 2002 george w. bush presented him with the medal of freedom. president obama met mandela once in 2005, when obama was a senator. after one term as president mandela stepped down. he did not slow his pace. his charitable foundation raised money for a variety of causes. when south africa hosted soccer's world cup tournament in july 2010 he made his last major public appearance at the f

. >> esto también sirvió para ver una imagen la viuda de nelson mandela se acerco a la esposa de él winnie . >> momento importante el discurso del presidente barack obama que destaco el legado que dejó madiva para las próximas generaciones . >> el más aplaudido también . >> nunca más veremos a alguien como él , a los jóvenes del mundo ustedes pueden adueñarse de su ejemplo . >> unió a un presidente en función y otros a bush clinton y carter . >> también latinoamérica presente . >> el presidente de méxico, enrique peña nieto presidenta de la republica de brasil, dilma rousseff y raúl castro que fueron oradores de la región . >> es demostración de lo que el persiguio . >> abucheo al presidente de sudáfrica, jacob zuma . >> dijo que todos somos seres humanos . >> el compañero de lucha y amigo y también premio nobel desafio a estar de pie para una bendición . >> también celebridades que también apoyaron namde nelson mandela presionando en los 80s para que lo liberaran también bill gate, oprha bono y naome campbell . >> univisión . >> como dice maría elena se ve esas i

once after learning winnie was having heart trouble. he would make his request in their language, afrikaans hoping it would help get them to say yes. his name, nelson mandela and then his prison number, 466. >> reporter: the 466th prisoner that year, 1964. he would even asked a cherished friend why have you not written? >> do you forget your friend so easily? why are you not writing. >> reporter: finally they show us a note from his 71st birthday, a visit from winnie and his children and grandchildren. his real gift would come a year later, his release. >> there is mr. nelson mandela, a free man. >> reporter: we recall that promise he made to his children more than two decades earlier. i am certain that one day i will be back home to live in happiness until the end of my days. >> one day back at home until the end of my days, the cherished letters of a father, a husband and a leader and writing at the bottom of every letter, 466, prisoner 466 in the year 1964. >> thank you, david. thinking of those prison years as we know he used everyt

nelson mandela, his wife winnie, greeting the people outside the fences of the prison. that is the man the world has been waiting to see. his first public appearance in nearly three decades. >> when nelson mandela walked free out of prison, the people of south africa were free. but when he walked out, everyone was walking on air, and it was a -- the most joyous moment of all our lives. >> today the majority of south africans, black and white, recognize that apartheid has no future. >> after 27 years, nelson mandela was free and south africa has taken its first steps towards democracy but those decades in prison took a toll on his health and his family. . >>> one of the saddest moments in my>>> one of the saddest mom in my life in prison was the death of my mother. she came a couple tough times to visit me, but the last time she came to see me, as she left i looked at her and she walked up. i have the feeling that i have seen her for the last time and that was the case. the shattering spirit of the death of my oldest son in a car accident. he was not on my son but a frie

mandela and his wife winnie divorced after a four year separation. he took on the role of elder world statesman fighting injus sis. he married his third wife and long time congressmmpanion on h birthday. >> don't call me. i'll call you. >> his public apparents became increasingly rare, each one of them a reason to celebrate. he was all smiles when his great grandchildren sang to him on his 92nd birthday. when he closed his eyes for the last time, mandela was surrounded by hi his family and by the affection and admire ration of the world. he has truly fought the good fight, walked that long walk. a journey unfinished towards juss 'tis, peace, and love. and on that journey, we all follow in nelson mandela's footsteps. >> thank you for that inspiring report. next what happened when mandela came to america? and we talked to the queen of soul who sang for him then. ♪ >>> the impact of that effort was felt well beyond those borders, especially here in the united states. you met mr. mandela on his first visit. >> it was 23 years ago. long before he chatte

you will find letters to winnie. to his children. >> reporter: can you read a bit for us? >> i can. my darlings, a nice letter written reached me safely. and i was very glad to know that she is now. it pleases me very much to know that all of my children are doing well. i hope you will do even better at the end of the year. i was happy to learn that she can cook chips, rice, meats and other things. i'm looking forward to the day when i will be able to enjoy all that she cooks. and so on. very moving stuff. >> reporter: while he sat behind bars, there were deaths in the family. and new additions. winnie tried to bring his newborn grandchild to robben island for him to meet for the first time. >> can he see him from a distance. >> reporter: while winnie waited, christo brand, a prison guard, snuck the baby to mandela. brand developed a friendship with mandela during the years they spent at robben island. he helped teach mandela afrikaans, the language used by the white upper class. he used afrikaans to talk to his opposition. as mandela explained, if you talk to a man in a language he

on behalf of the united nations i offer my deepest condolences to the mandela family, to winnie madikizela-mandela, and the mandelas larger family, the people of south africa, and in this [ inaudible ] ladies and gentlemen, this stadium holds tens of thousands of people, but even an arena as big as african continent could not contain our pain today. south africa has lost a hero. they have lost a father. and lost a beloved friend and mentor. nelson mandela was more than one of the greatest leaders of our time. >>> at 6:00 a.m. on the east coast, many of our nbc stations will cut away for their own local programming to -- >> as 6:00 a.m. on the east coast approaches many of the stations will cut away for their own local programming but will rejoin us when president obama begins his remarks. >>> you're looking at live pictures from soweto, south africa, state memorial service for former president nelson mandela. it's been raining there all morning long but the mood can only be described as jubilant, world leaders and tens and how to sands of south africans came to pay their respect to a man who helpe

there was no way that winnie could be first lady of south africa. that was one of the most difficult decisions. i did not know mr. mandela, but that had to be one of the most difficult decisions to make. the woman then stood with you, you now have to put aside. >> nikki giovanni, thank you for being with us. her latest book is called "chasing utopia: a hybrid." this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. on nelsontoday's show mandela, turning to the anti- wastheid activist who imprisoned at robben island with nelson mandela for 26 years. he spoke at sunday's funeral. griefay, mangled with our is enormous pride that one of lifetimeas, during his , and now in your death, united the people of south africa and the entire world on a scale never before experienced in history. fewfeeling in these last days, messages from people in all walks of life, have demonstrated how very connected how thel to you and story of your life is their story, and how their story is yours. you have captured this relationship beautifully on the occasion