Story highlights
Nelson Mandela's casket arrives in Qunu, where he spent much of his childhood
"Even when my father was in jail, he had the most fondest memories of Qunu," daughter says
In Qunu, the military hands over his remains to his family
Mandela will be buried Sunday after a funeral service
The coffin carrying Nelson Mandela’s body arrived Saturday in his ancestral village of Qunu, where he’ll be buried Sunday amid the lush green hills of his boyhood.
After a plane carrying his casket touched down in Mthatha, the closest airport to Qunu, it was taken in a procession past mourners who lined the roads to his rural home.
The mood among the crowd was a celebration of his life, as well as sadness for his passing.
The nation’s first black president had often said he felt most at peace here at his rural home in the southeastern corner of the nation.
“Look, he loved these hills,” his daughter, Maki Mandela, told CNN in an exclusive interview. “He really believed this is where he belonged.”
His burial Sunday comes after 10 days of mourning.
Before Mandela’s journey home, the ruling African National Congress bid him farewell Saturday morning at an air force base in Pretoria.
Members of the ruling party stood, bowed and prayed around his black, flag-draped casket.
“Icon of our struggle. Father of our nation,” read a giant poster bearing a picture of a smiling Mandela.
His wife, Graca Machel, sat in the front row, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
“We will miss him, he was our leader in a special time. Go well, Tata,” President Jacob Zuma said, using the Xhosa word for father. “You’ve played your part. You’ve made your contribution. We’ll always remember you.”
Helicopters hovered overhead as soldiers carried the casket into the military plane. It then took off for Qunu – followed by fighter jets.
‘He really wanted to die here’
Thousands of mourners lined the streets from the airport as Mandela’s remains were brought to the remote village where he spent much of his childhood.
Mandela relished his time at the village, which is marked by endless open fields and velvety grass. It’s where he herded cows and goats as a child; where his relatives are buried at the family farm.
“Even when my father was in jail, he had the most fondest memories of Qunu,” Maki Mandela said. “And he really wanted to die here.”
Intimate tributes
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the U.S. civil rights leader, told CNN that Saturday was “a day of painful celebration.”
“People are beginning to realize what they’ve lost, but they know they’ve got so much left,” said Jackson, referring to the sweeping political and social change achieved by the anti-apartheid leader. “They know what he left in place stays in place.”
He was planning to attend Mandela’s funeral Sunday, where the tributes were expected to be more intimate.
Once at Mandela’s house in Qunu, the military was expected formally to pass responsibility for his remains to his family.
At dusk, ANC leaders, local chiefs and the men in Mandela’s family are expected to gather for a private night vigil, held according to the traditions of the Thembu community, his native clan, before a public funeral the next day. Villagers may gather outside the house to pay their respects.
His casket was to lie overnight in his bedroom, which overlooks the hills and his grave site.
What to expect as Nelson Mandela is laid to rest
Small village, giant spotlight
Mandela died last week at age 95.
Events leading up to the burial included a memorial service Tuesday followed by three days of public viewing at Pretoria’s Union Buildings, where he was sworn in as president in 1994.
About 100,000 people paid homage to Mandela during the three days he lay in state, government officials said.
The airport in East London, south of Qunu, will be used for their arrival and departure of dignitaries, with access closely controlled.
Foreign leaders were encouraged to attend Tuesday’s memorial service in Johannesburg. Nonetheless, dozens of international dignitaries are expected to make their way to the Eastern Cape for Mandela’s funeral.
A private family prayer service will be held Sunday morning at Mandela’s home. The funeral will take place in a white tent set up at the family farm.
The Mandela family, Zuma and the Cabinet members will be present along with local and foreign dignitaries. About 4,500 people are expected.
The military will again be charged with draping the flag over Mandela’s coffin. Members of the military will perform a salute, and play the national anthem.
The burial
About 430 family and friends will walk to the grave site to say goodbye to the man many consider to be the father of their nation.
Mandela will be buried in the rocky soil of his childhood home.
The burial area has been built for him; some of Mandela’s relatives are already buried there.
Security
Zuma has authorized nearly 12,000 members of the South African National Defence Force to serve alongside the police force.
A tight military cordon is expected around the funeral site.
As South Africa prepares to bury Nelson Mandela, young Africans are optimistic about the future
CNN’s Robyn Curnow reported from the Mandela compound in Qunu, Faith Karimi wrote and reported from Atlanta and Laura Smith-Spark from London. CNN’s Kim Norgaard contributed to this report.