Tributes have flown in from around the world for South Africa's revered anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, who has died aged 95.

Mr Mandela - who was often referred to in his home country by his clan name Madiba - passed away peacefully at his Johannesburg home.

South African president Jacob Zuma announced the news of Mandela's death, saying in a nationally televised address: "Fellow South Africans, our beloved Nelson Rohlihla Mandela, the founding president of our democratic nation, has departed."

He added: "Our people have lost a father. Although we knew this day was going to come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss. His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world. His humility, passion and humanity, earned him their love."

[size=14pt]Barack Obama[/size]

US president Barack Obama said he considered himself among the "countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela's life", and the world was unlikely to see the likes of him again.

"He achieved more than could be expected of any man and today he's gone home and we've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us, he belongs to the ages," America's first black president said in a televised White House address.

"Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa and moved all of us. His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better.

"His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. The fact that he did it all with grace and good humour and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections only makes the man that much more remarkable."

[size=14pt]David Cameron[/size]

British prime minister David Cameron said, "A great light has gone out in the world", adding that flags at Number 10 Downing Street would be flown at half-mast in tribute to Mandela.

"Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero," Mr Cameron said in a statement.

"Meeting him was one of the great honours of my life. My heart goes out to his family - and to all in South Africa and around the world whose lives were changed through his courage."

Tony Abbott;

"Nelson Mandela was one of the great figures of Africa, arguably one of the great figures of the last century," he said.

"A truly great man. And while I never met him, I did read that book A Long Walk To Freedom, and I guess the impression we get of Nelson Mandela is someone who suffered but was not embittered but ennobled through that suffering."

[size=14pt]Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles[/size]

Queen Elizabeth II said she was "deeply saddened" by the death of Mandela, adding that he had "worked tirelessly for the good of his country".

"The Queen was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Nelson Mandela last night. He worked tirelessly for the good of his country, and his legacy is the peaceful South Africa we see today," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

"Her Majesty remembers with great warmth her meetings with Mr Mandela and sends her sincere condolences to his family and the people of South Africa at this very sad time."

Prince Charles also paid tribute to the iconic anti-apartheid fighter, describing him as an "inspired leader and a great man".

"Mr Mandela was the embodiment of courage and reconciliation. He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life," he said.

"With his passing, there will be an immense void not only in his family's lives, but also in those of all South Africans and the many others whose lives have been changed through his fight for peace, justice and freedom.

"The world has lost an inspired leader and a great man. My family and I are profoundly saddened and our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

[size=14pt]F.W. de Klerk[/size]

South Africa's last white president, F.W. de Klerk, said Mandela's greatest accomplishment was to unify the country and push for reconciliation between blacks and whites in the post-apartheid era.

"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," Mr de Klerk said in an interview with CNN.

Mr De Klerk, who released Mandela from prison in 1990 and then negotiated the end of apartheid, called Mandela a "humane" and "compassionate" man who was able to understand the fears of South Africa's white minority in the transition to democracy.

Mandela and Mr de Klerk shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for ending minority white rule and laying the foundations of democracy, with Mr De Klerk going on to serve as one of two deputy presidents in Mandela's government after the ANC won the 1994 elections.

[size=14pt]Ban Ki-moon[/size]

The UN Security Council was in session when the ambassadors received the news of Mandela's death. They stopped their meeting and stood for a minute's silence.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon hailed Mandela as a "giant for justice" who had inspired freedom movements the world over.

"Many around the world were influenced by his selfless struggle for human dignity, equality and freedom. He touched our lives in deeply personal ways," he told reporters.

"Nelson Mandela was a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration."

[size=14pt]Angela Merkel[/size]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Mandela's name would always be associated with the fight against the oppression.

"Not even years in prison could break Nelson Mandela or make him bitter - a new, better South Africa eventually emerged out of his message of reconciliation," she said.

"Nelson Mandela's shining example and his political legacy of non-violence and the condemnation of all forms of racism will continue to inspire people around the world for many years to come."

[size=14pt]Francois Hollande[/size]

French president Francois Hollande said in a statement that: "Nelson Mandela made history. That of South Africa and the whole world. Nelson Mandela's message will not disappear. It will continue to inspire fighters for freedom, and to give confidence to peoples in the defence of just causes and universal rights."

[size=14pt]Benjamin Netanyahu[/size]

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Mandela as "one of the most honorable figures of our time".

"He was the father of his people, a man of vision, a freedom fighter who rejected violence," he said.

"He set a personal example for his people in the long years he spent in prison. He was never arrogant. He worked to mend the tears in South African society and with his character managed to prevent outbursts of racial hatred."

[size=14pt]Aung San Suu Kyi[/size]

Myanmar veteran democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi described Mandela as a "great human being who raised the standard of humanity".

"I would like to express my extreme grief at the passing away of a man who stood for human rights and equality," she said.

"He made us all understand that nobody should be penalised for the colour of their skin or for the circumstances in which he is born.

"He also made us understand we can change the world by changing attitudes, by changing perceptions."

[size=14pt]Enda Kenny[/size]

Irish prime minister Enda Kenny said Mandela transformed not only South Africa, but humanity itself.

"The name Mandela stirred our conscience and our hearts. It became synonymous with the pursuit of dignity and freedom across the globe," he said.

"Today, a great light has been extinguished. The boy from the Transkei has finished his long walk. His journey transformed not just South Africa, but humanity itself."

[size=14pt]Bill Clinton[/size]

Former US president Bill Clinton, who was in office when Nelson Mandela took power in South Africa, mourned the death of a "champion for human dignity and freedom".

"Today the world has lost one of its most important leaders and one of its finest human beings," Mr Clinton said in a statement.

"History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation.

The Clinton and Mandela families became close, with the former US president visiting Mandela on the eve of his 94th birthday.

"Hillary, Chelsea and I have lost a true friend," Mr Clinton said.

"All of us are living in a better world because of the life that Madiba lived. He proved that there is freedom in forgiving, that a big heart is better than a closed mind, and that life's real victories must be shared."

[size=14pt]George H.W. Bush[/b][/size]

Former US president George H.W. Bush said Mandela changed the course of history.

"As president, I watched in wonder as Nelson Mandela had the remarkable capacity to forgive his jailers following 26 years of wrongful imprisonment - setting a powerful example of redemption and grace for us all," he said.

"He was a man of tremendous moral courage, who changed the course of history in his country."

[size=14pt][b]Tony Blair[/size]

He made racism everywhere not just immoral but stupid.
"Through his dignity, grace and the quality of his forgiveness, he made racism everywhere not just immoral but stupid; something not only to be disagreed with, but to be despised. In its place he put the inalienable right of all humankind to be free and to be equal," Mr Blair added.

[size=14pt]Goodluck Jonathan[/size]

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan said Mandela's death "will create a huge vacuum that will be difficult to fill in our continent."

"He will be sorely missed by all who cherish love, peace and freedom the world over..."

[size=14pt]Xi Jinping[/size]

Chinese president Xi Jinping described Mandela as an "active champion of bilateral friendship and cooperation" and "one of the founders of China-South Africa relations".

"Mr Mandela was a world-renowned statesman, who during the long years led the South African people through arduous struggles to the anti-apartheid victory, making a historic contribution to the establishment and development of the new South Africa," he said.

[size=14pt]Oprah Winfrey[/size]

American talk show host Oprah Winfrey added her voice to the tributes, saying Mandela "will always be my hero".

"One of the great honours of my life was to be invited to Nelson Mandela's home, spend private time and get to know him," she said.

"He was everything you've ever heard and more - humble and unscathed by bitterness. And he always loved to tell a good joke.

"Being in his presence was like sitting with grace and majesty at the same time. His life was a gift to us all."

[size=14pt]Nicolas Maduro[/size]

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro declared three days of national mourning.

"Nine months since the passing of our comandante [Hugo Chavez], another giant of the people of the world passed away today. Madiba, you will live forever!" Maduro said on Twitter.

[size=14pt]Shinzo Abe[/size]

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said Mandela "fought for the abolition of apartheid with strong will".

"On nation building, he made a major achievement with focus on the reconciliation of the people. He was a great leader," he said.

Source:http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-06/world-leaders-pay-tribute-to-nelson-mandela/5139536

Nelson Mandela was more than just a man,he was a benchmark for morality,a beacon of hope, the heartbeat of a nation...he was a movement!

Africa wil miss u madiba. The greatest political figure frm africa

Z

I ve not seen any patriotic man like late Mandela in which the world will respect after his death....

incase it gets to FP.......wld then give my vivid comment...thks

@Mod....frontpage plz Atleast our president name was mentioned

How great can a man be for world leaders and intelligentsia to be paying their respect to him

How great can a man be that he's been mourned and celebrated all over the world even the remotest of places

How great can a man be that the flag at the white house was flown half mast for him.

How great can a man be that public holidays are been declared for his honour in countries all over the world.

Nelson mandela is a great man indeed and has left an indelible mark in the sands of time and will always be remembered.