Johannesburg – The ANC will lay out condolence books at its Johannesburg headquarters, all provincial offices and parliamentary constituency offices from Monday morning, it said.

Spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said the offices of its alliance partners [the SA Communist Party, the Congress of SA Trade Unions and the SA National Civic Organisation] would also lay out books for citizens to leave messages for former president Nelson Mandela and his family.

The books will be laid out from 09:00 on Monday.

Mandela died at his Houghton, Johannesburg, home on Thursday night at the age of 95.

“The African National Congress, South Africans and the world at large continue to mourn the passing… of comrade Nelson Mandela,” said Mthembu.

The ANC said it would hold provincial memorial services for Mandela in all nine provinces this week.

“These memorial services will be addressed by leaders of the ANC and various leaders coming from our fraternal organisations that shall be in South Africa to console and support the Mandela family and South Africans during this difficult time,” he said.

Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town said there were various places where people could leave messages for Mandela and his family.

“These messages will be collected, bound into a commemorative book and sent to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory,” said spokesperson Priya Reddy in a statement on Sunday.

“Members of the public can visit any of the commemorative sites across the city to lay flowers or write their messages in special remembrance books.”

The sites included the Grand Parade, the Civic Centre, OR Tambo Hall, the Swartklip sports complex and the Muizenberg Civic Centre.

“People can use this opportunity to explain what Madiba meant to them, or share their fondest memory of him,” said Reddy.

Friends, colleagues, comrades and family of Nelson Mandela are invited to share their memories and tributes, and to light a candle for him, on his profile at Remembered.co.za.
– SAPA