People are reflected in the car carrying former South African president Nelson Mandela as it makes its way through the streets of Pretoria, South Africa, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013. The body of Nelson Mandela is being taken in procession to the Union Buildings in Pretoria where it will lie in state for three days. Each morning his remains will be transported from the mortuary to the government buildings. AP/Markus Schreiber
PRETORIA, South Africa鈥擳he casket of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, draped in the multi-colored South African flag, arrived Wednesday at the seat of power in the country鈥檚 capital for public viewing.
Motorcycle-riding police officers escorted the casket from a military hospital outside of Pretoria to the Union Buildings, once a symbol of the racist, white-dominated government in the country. When Mandela took office in 1994, he used the building as his offices and the presidency is still located there.
Some residents of Pretoria lined the streets to watch the procession go by. They sang old songs from the struggle against the apartheid regime and called out their farewells to Mandela, who died Dec. 5 at the age of 95.
Soldiers in formal uniforms carried Mandela鈥檚 casket into the Union Buildings to a special viewing center built on the grounds in front of the building, which President Jacob Zuma named after Mandela by decree Tuesday.
Mandela鈥檚 grandson Mandla and Defense Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula led mourners into the viewing area. Soldiers set down the coffin and removed the flag.
After the mourners left, four South African navy officers stood guard over the body.
Mandela鈥檚 body will lie in state for three days. Later Wednesday, Mandela family members, government officials and world leaders are expected to pass by the coffin. It鈥檚 unclear whether it will be an open- or closed-casket viewing, though officials have banned cameras from being inside the viewing area.
Each day, Mandela鈥檚 coffin will be driven back to 1 Military Hospital to be held overnight.
Mandela鈥檚 body will be flown Saturday to Qunu, his home in the Eastern Cape Province. He will be buried Sunday.
On Tuesday, world leaders including US President Barack Obama, eulogized Mandela. In his speech, Obama called Mandela 鈥渢he last great liberator of the 20th century.鈥�
鈥淲e will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淏ut let me say to the young people of Africa, and young people around the world鈥攜ou can make his life鈥檚 work your own.鈥�
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Gambrell reported from Johannesburg.