Mandela's funeral to be held Dec 15

The South African government announced Friday that the country's former president Nelson Mandela's funeral will be held Dec 15.

The decision came after President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela's family in Johannesburg. Shortly before midnight Thursday, Zuma announced about the death of the 95-year-old anti-apartheid icon. He had passed away in the evening.

President Zuma has said the late statesman will be laid to rest at his home in Qunu in the southern province of the Eastern Cape. The national mourning will last for 10 days before the funeral.

From Dec11 to Dec.13, Mandela's remains will be stationed at the Union Buildings in the administrative capital of Pretoria, he said.

During the national mourning, Dec 8 has been declared a Day of Prayer and Reflection and Dec 10 would be the day for the official memorial service in Johannesburg.

President Zuma thanked all South Africans and the world for their support to the Mandela family.

Mandela had been hospitalised with serious recurring lung infection in recent years. He suffered from tuberculosis when he was incarcerated for 27 years before the apartheid ended in 1994.

After being discharged from hospital in Pretoria Sep 1, Mandela had started his final fight against the disease at his home in Johannesburg.