Obama, Raul Castro to Address Mandela Memorial
A great unifier in life, in death Nelson Mandela
will again bring together political foes Tuesday, when U.S. President
Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro share a stage at his memorial.
Organizers announced Monday that the two men would be
among world leaders to address a crowd of 80,000 people amassed at a
stadium in Soweto and millions more watching on from around the world.
Cold War foes, Cuba and the United States have had only limited ties for half a century.
South African President Jacob Zuma will make the keynote
address, but other speakers will include U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-Moon,
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Indian President Pranab
Mukherjee.
Representing China will be Vice-President Li Yuanchao.
Four of Mandela's grandchildren will also take to the
podium Tuesday, less than a week after their 95-year-old relative passed
away.
Andrew Mlangeni, who spent nearly two decades in the neighboring prison cell to Mandela on Robben Island, will also speak.
The memorial service, in the venue where Mandela made
his last major public appearance for the 2010 World Cup final, is seen
as a final chance for grieving South Africans to unite in a mass
celebration of his life ahead of the more formal state funeral.
Another 120,000 people will be able to watch a live
broadcast of the event on giant screens set up in three overflow
stadiums in Johannesburg.
