President Pranab Mukherjee will lead a five-member delegation to the memorial service of former South African President Nelson Mandela on Tuesday.
The delegation will comprise UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury and BSP leader Satish Mishta, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said in reply to questions on the visit.
Senior officials from Ministry of External Affairs and Rashtrapati Bhavan would be accompanying the delegation to pay homage to the anti-apartheid leader, who died on December 5 at the age of 95. The delegation would be leaving Monday night. His funeral is scheduled to be held in his childhood home, Qunu village in the Eastern Cape on December 15 and it will be a private affair.
However, the South African Government has facilitated world leaders to pay their tributes to Mandela on Tuesday and Wednesday at the State Memorial Services being held at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. India was the first foreign country that he had visited after his 27-years in prison.
Highly regarded in India, the South African leader had always termed Mahatma Gandhi as pioneer of his anti-apartheid movement. Mandela, who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, was recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
The popularity of the leader could be gauged by the decision of the South African government which has capped the number of delegation from every country to six including the heads of state.
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