Mandela's farewell event has a six-hour queue.
Thousands of people passed by the coffin of former South African president Nelson Mandela on Wednesday, the 11th, for the first time on public display since his death on Thursday; and the route taken was long.
Danilo Macedo
Special correspondent in South Africa
Pretoria – Thousands of people passed by the coffin of former South African president Nelson Mandela on Wednesday, the first time it was displayed to the public since his death on Thursday (5).
The journey was long. Most had to endure more than six hours of queuing to be able to pass by the coffin in less than five seconds. Despite the strong sun, which contrasted with the relentless rain of yesterday (10) during the tribute at Soccer City Stadium, the day was beautiful and the tiredness did not obscure the enthusiasm of each one.
"The wait is worth it because we are going to say our final goodbye to Tata," several South Africans told Agência Brasil, carrying paraphernalia with Mandela's image and calling the former president by one of his affectionate nicknames. The farewell took place at the beautiful Union Buildings, the South African government palace.
The line, which stretched for blocks, formed first for people to board buses that would take them to the top of the Union Buildings grounds, from where there is a beautiful view of Pretoria. There, another line formed to reach the coffin, which, being closed, made it difficult to see Mandela's body, despite its glass top. Photography was prohibited.
To commemorate the moment, South Africans and some tourists took the opportunity to take photos in the gardens of the Union Buildings, normally closed to the public. Besides the beautiful view, a small area served as a place for Mandela's children, as some call themselves, to lay flowers, photos, and other objects to mark their presence at the farewell to South Africa's first black president and winner of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.
The wake, which was scheduled to end at 17 pm, had to be extended. A heavy rain fell to close the first of three days of the state funeral at the palace. Mandela's body will be buried on Sunday (15), in Qunu, the city where he was born, almost 1 kilometers from Pretoria. Over the next two days, more queues will come to fulfill the objective of saying their final farewell to Tata Mandela.