Dec 10, 2013

Tens of thousands of mourners gathered at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium to pay their respects at a memorial service for fallen South African leader Nelson Mandela. They were joined by about 100 World leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, who spoke of Mandela’s legacy.

: People holding a giant portrait of Nelson Mandela arrive moments before the memorial service on December 10, 2013 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. (Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images)

: U.S. President Barack Obama talks with the widow of South African President Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, during the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on December 10, 2013. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. (Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images)

: A man raises the South African national flag during the service for former South African President Nelson Mandela at the First National Bank Stadium in Johannesburg, December 10, 2013. World leaders from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro joined thousands of South Africans to honor Nelson Mandela on Tuesday in a memorial that will celebrate his gift for uniting enemies across political and racial divides. (Kevin Coombs/Reuters)

: A woman celebrates in the tribune before the memorial service for Nelson Mandela on December 10, 2013 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. Mandela, who was elected South Africa’s first black president after spending nearly three decades in prison, had been receiving treatment for a lung infection at his Johannesburg home since September, after three months in hospital in a critical state. (Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images)

: A giant screen shows U.S. President Barack Obama delivering a speech during the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on December 10, 2013. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images)

: South African actress Charlize Theron attends the memorial service of South African former president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium (Soccer City) in Johannesburg on December 10, 2013. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. (Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images)

: Portraits of former South African President Nelson Mandela are left out in the open after workers took shelter from the rain while hanging them at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu, December 10, 2013. World leaders, from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro, will pay homage to Mandela at the memorial that will recall his gift for bringing enemies together across political and racial divides. (Rogan Ward/Reuters)

: A man holds a placard at the First National Bank Stadium during the national memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg December 10, 2013. World leaders from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro joined thousands of South Africans to honor Nelson Mandela on Tuesday in a memorial that will celebrate his gift for uniting enemies across political and racial divides. (Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)

: United States President Barack Obama speaks during the official memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium on December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 60 heads of state have traveled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who passed away on the evening of Dec. 5, 2013 at his home. Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in jail for his activism against apartheid in a racially-divided South Africa. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

: People walk into the seating area as they arrive for a service for former South African President Nelson Mandela at the First National Bank Stadium, also known as Soccer City, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 10, 2013. World leaders from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro joined thousands of South Africans to honor Nelson Mandela on Tuesday in a memorial that will celebrate his gift for uniting enemies across political and racial divides. (Kevin Coombs/Reuters)

: Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie Mandela (left) arrives at the First National Bank Stadium ahead of the national memorial service for Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg December 10, 2013. World leaders from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro joined thousands of South Africans to honor Nelson Mandela on Tuesday in a memorial that will celebrate his gift for uniting enemies across political and racial divides. (Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)

: Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on December 10, 2013. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. (Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images)

: A spectator watches a telecast of the Nelson Mandela memorial service at Ellis Park on December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 60 heads of state have traveled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

: A boy pushes a homemade toy car, prior to a live screening of the memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela in Soweto, in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, December 10, 2013. World leaders, from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro, will pay homage to Mandela at the memorial that will recall his gift for bringing enemies together across political and racial divides.(Siegfried Modola/Reuters)

: A boy sleeps on his mother’s lap at the First National Bank Stadium, also known as Soccer City, ahead of former South African President’s Nelson Mandela’s national memorial service in Johannesburg December 10, 2013. World leaders from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro joined thousands of South Africans to honor Nelson Mandela on Tuesday in a memorial that will celebrate his gift for bringing enemies together across political and racial divides. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

: A boy writes a message for former South African President Nelson Mandela while visiting parliament in Cape Town December 9, 2013. The South African parliament held a joint sitting in tribute to anti-apartheid hero Mandela on Monday, who died aged 95 at his Johannesburg home on December 5 after a prolonged lung infection. (Mark Wessels/Reuters)

: Two women eat their food whilst sitting on steps before a service for former South African President Nelson Mandela at the First National Bank Stadium, also known as Soccer City, in Johannesburg December 10, 2013. World leaders from U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba’s Raul Castro joined thousands of South Africans to honour Nelson Mandela on Tuesday in a memorial that will celebrate his gift for uniting enemies across political and racial divides. (Kevin Coombs/Reuters)

: U.S. President Barack Obama delivers his speech during the memorial service for late South African President Nelson Mandela at the First National Bank stadium, also known as Soccer City, in Johannesburg December 10, 2013. Obama hailed Nelson Mandela as a “giant of justice” on Tuesday but said too many leaders in the world claimed solidarity with his struggle for freedom “but do not tolerate dissent from their own people”. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters)

: An early arrival looks for a place to sit out of the rain in the 95,000-seat FNB Stadium before the start of the official memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 60 heads of state have traveled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

: A passenger pries open the doors of a moving train carrying people to the Nelson Mandela memorial service to gain a view of the FNB Stadium, on December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 60 heads of state have traveled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

: Two young women attend the official memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela at FNB Stadium December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 60 heads of state have traveled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Mr Mandela passed away on the evening of December 5, 2013 at his home in Houghton at the age of 95. Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in jail for his activism against apartheid in a racially-divided South Africa. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

: Military police patrols the FNB Stadium (Soccer City) on December 9, 2013 during preparations ahead of South African former president Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in Johannesburg tomorrow. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. Mandela, who was elected South Africa’s first black president after spending nearly three decades in prison, had been receiving treatment for a lung infection at his Johannesburg home since September, after three months in hospital in a critical state. (Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images)

: People attend the memorial service for late South-African president Nelson Mandela, on December 10, 2013 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. (Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images)

: Members of the public attend the Nelson Mandela memorial service at the FNB Stadium, on December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 60 heads of state have traveled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 455215463

: Singer Bono and South African actor Charlize Theron arrive for the official memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela at FNB Stadium December 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 60 heads of state have traveled to South Africa to attend a week of events commemorating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

: Xhosa women wearing traditional clothes perfom during a gathering to watch a retransmission of the memorial service for late former South African president Nelson Mandela, near the former home of Mandela in Qunu, on December 10, 2013. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95. (Carl de Souza/AFP/Getty Images)

Obama, Castro shake hands as world says farewell to peacemaker Mandela
Stella Mapenzauswa and Steve Holland Reuters
8:35 a.m. EST, December 10, 2013

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama shook hands with Cuba’s Raul Castro at a memorial for Nelson Mandela on Tuesday, a rare gesture between the leaders of the ideologically opposed nations that reflected the anti-apartheid hero’s spirit of reconciliation.

Castro smiled as Obama moved to shake his hand on the way to the podium before making a rousing speech in memory of the former South African president, one of the world’s great peacemakers, who died on Thursday aged 95.

Torrential rain failed to dampen the spirits of tens of thousands of singing and dancing mourners at Johannesburg’s Soccer City, who gathered to say farewell to Mandela alongside 90-odd world dignitaries.

The crowd emitted a huge roar as Obama took his seat, in marked contrast to the boos that greeted South African President Jacob Zuma, a scandal-plagued leader whose weaknesses have been cast into sharp relief by Mandela’s death.

In South Africa, crowds bid farewell at Nelson Mandela memorial

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