Nelson Mandela to be laid to rest

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Nelson Mandela will be laid to rest Sunday at a funeral reflecting the traditions of his tribe and the pride of the country he transformed as both dissident and president.

His burial in the rural village of Qunu where he spent his early childhood, closes the final chapter on a towering public figure whose courage and moral fortitude turned him into a global symbol of freedom and hope.

And it ends 10 days of national mourning during which hundreds of thousands of South Africans turned out in torrential rain and searing sunshine to grieve, remember and celebrate the life of their first elected black leader.

Organisers said around 450 people, including Mandela's widow Graca Machel and ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, would participate in the private burial, which will be held according to traditional Xhosa rites.

Overseen by male members of his clan, the ceremony will include the slaughter of an ox -- a ritual performed through various milestones of a person's life.

During the ceremony, Mandela will be referred to as Dalibhunga -- the name given to him at the age of 16 after undergoing the initiation to adulthood

Mourners will wear traditional Xhosa regalia, with blue and white beaded head gear and necklaces.