Mandela "has departed"

[EdithWeston]

Confirmed by President Zuma

May he rest in peace. His suffering is over.

What more can I say... what he represented and how he has changed how we live in South Africa today.

We are sad, South Africa is in mourning.

I don't think I've ever in my life felt the need to offer condolences to a whole nation before, but I do offer them this morning to South Africa. May you always live in the peace he wished for and fought for you all.

The BBC is reporting that the mood of the (huge) crowd is commemoration and celebration, even though formal mourning has begun.

I am very happy to have been alive at the same time in history as this amazing man was on earth. An inspirational life. How I wish we had more like him.

He is in a good place now, without a doubt in eternal bliss. RIP.

Link to report on last night's premiere of the film The Long Walk to Freedom

An announcement was made to the audience at the closing credits. His daughter Zindzi was there (hope she was told privately, though the family must have known how close his death was).

Phumla ngoxolo Madiba, Rest in peace Madiba.

What a legend. The last of his kind. The end of an era.