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JOHANNESBURG (AP)—For the first time since the World Cup began, South Africa’s beloved Nelson Mandela appeared in public Thursday. Instead of a triumphal moment in the world’s spotlight, a somber, frail Mandela attended the funeral of his 13-year-old great-granddaughter, killed in a car crash with an allegedly drunk family friend at the wheel.

It was a desolate moment for the 91-year-old anti-apartheid icon, one in a series of tragedies in a life in which the pressures of the political took a toll on the personal. Mandela, whose public appearances are increasingly rare, emerged stiffly from a car and leaned on a cane before being ferried in a golf cart to the brick chapel of the Johannesburg private school Zenani Mandela had attended.

Mandela sat in a front pew, his back straight and his face grave, though he broke into a smile at lighter moments during the service, including when a troupe of young singers and dancers did a number in Zenani’s honor. The service, which featured pop songs, hymns and a Maya Angelou poem, lasted about three hours. Mandela wore a corsage of pink roses on the lapel of his black coat. Other mourners also brightened black clothes with ties, scarves and flowers in shades of pink, Zenani’s favorite color.

Police say a close family friend who was driving the car that crashed on a highway in the early hours of June 11 could be charged with drunk driving and homicide. Zenani was returning from the official World Cup kickoff concert. Hours after Zenani died, Mandela’s office announced it would be inappropriate for him to attend the tournament’s opening ceremony and first game, as had been expected. Mandela is credited with sealing his country’s bid to become the first in Africa to host a World Cup.

Mandela largely retired from public life in 2004, but recent appearances have included a February visit to parliament in Cape Town, where he sat in the public gallery for a State of the Nation address scheduled to coincide with the 20th anniversary of his release after 27 years in prison. Early Thursday, a private burial was held for his great-granddaughter. The public had been welcomed to the chapel service, and several hundred people attended, including an overflow crowd who filled a tent outside.

Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, accompanied him. Also present was his ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who is Zenani’s great-grandmother; lawyer George Bizos, who had defended Mandela during the apartheid years, and Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela. An anguished message was read during the service from Zenani’s mother, Zoleka Mandela-Seakamela, daughter of Mandela’s daughter Zindzi Mandela. Mandela-Seakamela said she wished she had indulged her daughter more, allowing her to sleep in late and wear make-up.

“I should have given you more hugs, more kisses,” Mandela-Seakamela said. “If I did all this, would you come back to me, if only for a few seconds?” If there were tears, there was also laughter as a playful, precocious child who liked Hannah Montana and the World Cup anthem “Waka Waka” was remembered.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell delivered a message by video, saying she considered Zenani her goddaughter. “I was truly blessed to have been able to say that we walked and laughed and got to play dress-up,” Campbell said. “She will remain in my heart forever.”

Zenani’s classmates in school blazers each held a single white rose, and stood with other mourners to sing “Amazing Grace” as the funeral began before a montage of family portraits, including one of Zenani hugging Mandela, was projected on screens as a recording of “Lean on Me” played.

In 1969, three years after arriving on Robben Island to serve a life sentence for sabotage, Mandela received a telegram from his younger son, Makgatho, informing him that his eldest son, Madiba Thembekile, had died in a car crash. Prison authorities refused to allow Mandela to attend the funeral.

Thirty-six years later, Makgatho died. Mandela announced his last surviving son had died of AIDS-related complications, saying the only way to fight the disease’s stigma was to speak openly. Two of Mandela’s marriages fell apart, the second to Winnie. He began his 27-year imprisonment only four years after marrying her.

Source: AP

Nelson Mandela is to miss the World Cup opening ceremony after the death of his great-granddaughter, Zenani, in a car crash, his office says. The 13-year-old died when the car taking her home from a Soweto concert on the eve of the World Cup overturned.

The car's driver has been arrested and charged with drink-driving, police say. The Nelson Mandela Foundation said the tragedy made it inappropriate for the former president, who is 91, to attend the opening ceremony in Johannesburg.

WATCH VIDEO  : Nelson Mandela mourns great-grand daughter's

"We are sure that South Africans and people all over the world will stand in solidarity with Mr Mandela and his family in the aftermath of this tragedy," said a statement. "Madiba [Mr Mandela's clan name] will be there with you in spirit today."

A host of celebrities from the world of politics, business and sport will attend the opening ceremony at Soweto's Soccer City stadium later on Friday, before the competition's opening game between South Africa and Mexico.

Drink-driving charge

The car carrying Zenani Mandela overturned as it came off a slip road on the  M1 motorway, which travels through Johannesburg city centre, at around 0030 (2230 GMT on Thursday), reports said.

"He lost control of the vehicle and it collided with a barricade," police spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane told the Associated Press. "The Metro police found that he was drunk."

The driver was expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing later on Friday. Early reports quoted police as saying Nelson Mandela's former wife, Winnie Madikizela, had been in the car when the accident happened.

The Foundation told the BBC Ms Madikizela-Mandela was not in the car - which was the only vehicle involved in the crash - but that she had been taken to hospital because of her shock at the news of Zenani's death.

Foundation spokesman Sello Hating said she had been released from hospital after a couple of hours and returned home. "The family has asked for privacy as they mourn this tragedy," said the Foundation in a statement.

In a letter of condolence to Mr Mandela, Fifa President Sepp Blatter described the young girl's death as "unspeakably tragic". Zenani had celebrated her 13th birthday on 9 June.

South Africa has one of the world's worst road safety records, and there are nearly 50 deaths each day on roads across the country.

Heavy traffic

Anti-apartheid icon Mr Mandela had campaigned for the World Cup to come to South Africa. Some 350,000 people are expected to visit South Africa for the competition, which is being held in Africa for the first time.

More than 1,500 performers are set to take part in Friday's opening ceremony, which will be broadcast in 200 countries around the globe.

All the major roads leading to the Soccer City stadium were under severe pressure several hours before the ceremony was due to start, said the BBC's Pumza Fihlani, as fans in thousands of cars tried to make their way into Soweto.

Roads to nearby carparks for fans were gridlocked, our correspondent added. Thursday's World Cup concert had drawn tens of thousands to Soweto's Orlando Stadium, and traffic in the area had been busy into the early hours of Friday.

The event featured a cast of international stars - including Colombian singer Shakira, the Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys, as well as African stars Amadou & Mariam and Hugh Masekela. 

Source: BBC News Africa

Sierra Leone has launched a free healthcare plan for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and children under five years old.The country has some of the world's highest maternal and child death rates.Doctors blame this partly on health service fees and the cost of medication, and hope the healthcare plan will help save lives.

But there is concern that Sierra Leone lacks the resources and infrastructure to support the new programme.Sierra Leone is one of the world's poorest countries.It emerged from a decade of civil war in 2002, but reconstruction is still proving to be a big struggle.

DYING IN SIERRA LEONE Life expectancy: 46 (men), 49 (women) One in eight women risk dying in pregnancy or childbirth For every 1,000 children born, 140 die Highest mortality rate in the world for children under five Sources: UN, Amnesty International

Ratiszai Ndlovo, Sierra Leone's UN Population Fund representative, told the BBC's Umaru Fofana that although medical equipment had been ordered and some drugs distributed around the country, everything was still not in place for the launch of the healthcare plan.

"It's not perfect, it's not 100%," she said.

"But I think we cannot start the programme with everything in a perfect condition."Free healthcare in Sierra Leone is expected to save the lives of more than one million mothers and children, at an initial cost of $19m (£12m).

Other countries in Africa, such as Burundi, have also introduced free care to new mothers and children under five in recent years.In Sierra Leone, the programme's main donors have been the UN and the UK, who between them have helped refurbish hospitals, supply drugs and pay health workers' wages.

Pay and conditions were the main grievances in a two-week-long strike in March staged by the country's public health workers. They feared free care would result in more patients and longer working hours.

The dispute was settled when the government offered salary increases of between 200% and 500%. Our correspondent says there are other challenges facing the healthcare programme.

For example, Sierra Leone's bad roads and the lack of ambulances means pregnant women living in the more isolated parts of the country are often slow to receive attention.And some question how the free healthcare will be paid for once the donor support runs out.

Source: BBC News Africa