Crowds packed Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg's Soweto township for the funeral following a private service at the home of Madikizela-Mandela, the former wife of the late Nelson Mandela, who served as South Africa's President after fighting for decades to deliver the nation from apartheid.
Mourners followed her coffin in procession into the stadium, where the funeral began with the singing of the national anthem.
Her daughter, Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, was among the speakers at the funeral. Dignitaries also included Presidents of the Republic of Congo and Namibia, as well as civil rights leaders from around the world, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
"She made a choice to raise two families, hers and the beloved country," Mandela-Dlamini said. "She cherished freedom as much as she treasured family. She protected both from constant assault from apartheid state."
Madikizela-Mandela died this month in a Johannesburg hospital after a long illness. She was 81.
As one of the country's most prominent and polarizing figures, she retained political clout long after her divorce from Mandela. Since apartheid ended in the 1990s, she served in several government roles, including as a member of parliament and leader of the ruling party's women's league.
"Today, we lay to rest our heroine, a struggle stalwart and mother-to-the-nation," the government tweeted Saturday. It offered free rides for those who wanted to attend the funeral.
In his eulogy, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Madikizela-Mandela was "an African woman who -- in her attitude, her words and her actions -- defied the very premise of apartheid ideology and male superiority."
