US President Barack Obama paid an emotional tribute to Mr Mandela, nicknamed Madiba, who he described as "remarkable" and an "inspiration" to him
He said: "Nelson Mandela achieved more than what can be expected of any man.
"We've lost one of the most inspirational and profoundly good people.
"He no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages."
"We've lost one of the most inspirational and profoundly good people.
"He no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages."
People gather outside Nelson Mandela's home in Johannesburg to pay their respects [EPA]Jesse Jackson, who worked with Martin Luther King, said he will "never forget" the moment Mr Mandela walked free from prison on February 11 1990.
He said: "I shall never forget that moment.
"Nelson Mandela becomes this huge transformative force because he did the unusual. After 27 years in jail, one would expect retribution. He chose reconciliation, renewal and redemption. Unearned suffering has redemptive power that can even transform a nation."
Frederik Willem de Klerk, South Africa's last white President, said Mr Mandela's greatest accomplishment was to unify South Africa and push for reconciliation between blacks and whites in the post-apartheid era.
He said: "He was a great unifier and a very, very special man in this regard beyond everything else he did. This emphasis on reconciliation was his biggest legacy."
He said: "I shall never forget that moment.
"Nelson Mandela becomes this huge transformative force because he did the unusual. After 27 years in jail, one would expect retribution. He chose reconciliation, renewal and redemption. Unearned suffering has redemptive power that can even transform a nation."
Frederik Willem de Klerk, South Africa's last white President, said Mr Mandela's greatest accomplishment was to unify South Africa and push for reconciliation between blacks and whites in the post-apartheid era.
He said: "He was a great unifier and a very, very special man in this regard beyond everything else he did. This emphasis on reconciliation was his biggest legacy."
Barack Obama looks emotional after giving a speech paying tribute to Nelson Mandela [AP]The death of the iconic leader happened on the same night his daughter Zindzi Mandela attended the premiere of a biopic of his life.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which stars Idris Elba, was premiered in London with Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge attending.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, which stars Idris Elba, was premiered in London with Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge attending.
News of Mr Mandela's death broke during the screening of the film and a two-minute silence was held at the end of the film.