曼德拉遺體葬於家族墓地 4500賓客出席國葬儀式

Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president, was laid to rest Sunday after a state funeral filled with tearful eulogies and strident vows to pursue his ideals of equality and justice.

Mandela's casket was buried at his family plot in his rural boyhood home of Qunu, watched by his widow Graca Machel, ex-wife Winnie Madikizela–Mandela, other family members and around 450 selected guests.

The interment followed a ceremonial state funeral that ran well over its allotted two hours, as speaker after speaker paid emotional tribute to the man who led South Africa out of the apartheid era.

"The person who lies here is South Africa's greatest son," said ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa in an opening address.

A 21-gun salute and full military honour guard had escorted Mandela's coffin to the marquee where 4,500 mourners said their final goodbyes.

His flag-draped casket was placed on cow skins, surrounded by 95 candles -- each signifying a year of his extraordinary life.

The frail and ageing leaders of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle also attended: George Bizos, Desmond Tutu and Ahmed Kathrada, whose voice broke with as he delivered a eulogy for his old friend.

"I first met him 67 years ago," said Kathrada, who along with Mandela was sentenced to life in prison in 1963.

He recalled his fellow inmate as a powerful amateur boxer who could cope far better than others with the physical challenge of hard labour.

"What I saw in hospital was a man helpless and reduced to a shadow of himself," he said struggling not to break down.

"We can salute you as a fighter for freedom. Farewell my dear brother, my mentor, my leader.

'South Africa will continue to rise'

During the funeral, South African President Jacob Zuma told the country to carry on his legacy.

"One thing we can assure you of today Tata (father), as you take your final steps, is that South Africa will continue to rise.

"South Africa will continue to rise because we dare not fail you," Zuma said.

After the ceremony, Mandela's coffin was transported to a graveyard sitting on the sprawling family estate Mandela built in Qunu after his release from prison in 1990.

"It was in that village that I spent some of the happiest years of my boyhood and whence I trace my earliest memories," he wrote in his autobiography.

Overseen by male members of his clan in line with traditional Xhosa rites, the burial included the slaughter of an ox -- a ritual marking of a life's milestones.

Mandela was referred to throughout as Dalibhunga, the name given to him at the age of 16 after undergoing the initiation to adulthood.綜合外國媒體報道，當地時間12月15日，南非前總統曼德拉的“世紀葬禮”在其故鄉東開普省烏姆塔塔庫努村舉行。國葬儀式過後，按照科薩族傳統，曼德拉的遺體被葬入家族墓地。

***4500人出席國葬

15日8時，曼德拉的靈柩在海陸空三軍儀仗隊的護送下，伴隨着21響禮炮，抵達國葬儀式現場。他的棺槨上覆蓋南非國旗，被安放於會場前方攤鋪平整的黑白母牛皮之上。在棺槨周圍，95支白色蠟燭正在燃燒，這些蠟燭代表曼德拉走過的95個年頭。

葬禮開始後，現場響起名爲“履行你的諾言”的科薩語讚美詩，此後奏響南非國歌。“躺在這裏的，是南非最偉大的子民。”曼德拉生前所在的非洲人國民大會（ANC）副主席西里爾•拉馬弗薩首先致辭。

緊隨其後的，是曼德拉的“戰友”艾哈邁德•卡特拉達。1963年，因反抗種族隔離制度，卡特拉達與曼德拉一同入獄。回憶過兩人在監獄裏度過的艱難歲月後，卡特拉達向逝去的摯友致敬：“自由鬥士，我們向你敬禮。再見了！我親愛的兄弟，我的良師益友，我的領袖！”

卡特拉達真摯而又憂傷的話語，令現場許多人流下眼淚。當天，共有4500名賓客出席了國葬儀式，其中包括英國王儲查爾斯、美國脫口秀名嘴奧普拉•溫弗裏以及多名非洲國家元首。

***被埋入家族墓地

“在這個村莊裏，我度過了少年時期最開心的時光，同樣是在那裏，存有我最初的回憶。”從曼德拉的自傳中，不難看出他對故鄉庫努村的喜歡和眷戀。

持續約兩小時的國葬儀式結束後，曼德拉的遺體被埋葬於庫努村的家族墓地。根據曼德拉家人的要求，曼德拉遺體的入土儀式不予公開，只邀請至親好友參加。

按照科薩族的傳統葬禮儀式，入土儀式由曼德拉宗族的男性成員執行。默哀者穿着科薩族傳統服裝，帶着藍色和白色的頭飾和項鍊。並且儀式全程，曼德拉被稱爲“達利布洪加”（Dalibhunga），這是他16歲接受成人禮後被給予的宗族名字。

***“人民之子”長存於心

15日，在南非全國各地，民衆或聚集在電視機前、或駐守在收音機旁，想要陪他們的“國父”走過最後一程。

“庫努村太遠了，我們無法去到現場，所以就守在這裏一起哀悼。”在約翰內斯堡桑頓金融區的一塊戶外大屏幕前，聚集了不少追悼曼德拉的民衆，“他是英雄，他是當之無愧的人民之子。”

而在國葬儀式上，南非總統祖馬告訴全國人民，現任者會繼承曼德拉留下的寶貴遺產，“塔塔（父親的敬稱），我們向你保證，南非將會繼續崛起，因爲我們不敢讓您失望”。