Mandela memorial: Thousands gather in Johannesburg
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The memorial service is one of the biggest gatherings
of international dignitaries in recent years
Thousands of people are arriving at a
stadium in Johannesburg for a memorial service for Nelson Mandela.
US President Barack Obama and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be among those paying tribute.
The service will be held at the 95,000 capacity FNB stadium, where Mr Mandela made his last public appearance. It will also be shown on big screens at three "overflow" stadiums.
The former South African president died aged 95 last Thursday.
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World leaders attending
- US President Barack Obama
- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
- Cuban President Raul Castro
- French President Francois Hollande
- British Prime Minister David Cameron
- Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff
- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
The country is observing a series of commemorations
leading up to the funeral on Sunday.
'A mighty
life'
The memorial service is one of the biggest gatherings of international dignitaries in recent years.
Many people stood in the rain waiting for several hours to get into the stadium, the BBC's Joseph Winter reports from the scene.
Many are wearing Nelson Mandela T-shirts or South African football or rugby tops, and are singing songs from the fight against apartheid, our correspondent adds.
People are arriving at the FNB stadium ahead of the
national memorial service for Nelson Mandela 
People wearing South African football and rugby tops
are singing songs as they wait The crowds will be addressed by South African President Jacob Zuma and there will be tributes from other heads of state, including President Obama, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Cuban President Raul Castro.
Under Mr Castro's brother, Fidel, Cuba was a staunch critic of apartheid, and Mr Mandela had expressed gratitude for his support.
