At least 53 heads of states have so far confirmed that they will be attending Nelson Mandela`s upcoming memorial events.
A memorial service is due to be held on Tuesday at the Soccer City Stadium.
South Africa`s Foreign Minister Maite- Nkoana – Mashabane announced on Sunday that there has been a high level of interest.
US President Barack Obama, along with three former American presidents, Brazilian leader Dilma Rousseff, French President Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron are among those who will also be attending.
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Britain’s Prince Charles, representing Queen Elizabeth II, will also attend.
There has been “unprecedented interest” to attend the statesman’s funeral week after he died Thursday night, Nkoana-Mashabane told a news conference in Johannesburg.
A memorial service is due to be held on Tuesday at the Soccer City stadium, where Mandela made his last major public appearance during the 2010 football World Cup.
Others are expected to travel to Mandela`s rural childhood village Qunu for his burial on Sunday the 15th.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan, Martti Ahtisaari, Lakhdar Brahimi, Mary Robinson.
About 3000 Zimbabwean Journalist queued up to get accreditation to attend the event. Others who spoke to News Of The South waited for as long as 4 hours to get accredited.
Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey and singer-activist Bono, as well as Richard Branson and Peter Gabriel are expected to be among the celebrity mourners.
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