Final Tweet from NelsonMandela @NelsonMandela
"Death is something inevitable.When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people&his country,he can rest in peace" #Madiba
President Barack Obama
"At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I've cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Nelson Mandela lived for that ideal and he made it real.
He achieved more than could be expected of any man.
Full text of Obama's statement
Former President George H.W. Bush
"Barbara and I mourn the passing of one of the greatest believers in freedom we have had the privilege to know. 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 was a man of tremendous moral courage, who changed the course of history in his country. Barbara and I had great respect for President Mandela, and send our condolences to his family and countrymen."
Tweet from President Bill Clinton @billclinton
"I will never forget my friend Madiba. pic.twitter.com/UX21ZZG7cg
Tweet from Charlize Theron @CharlizeAfrica
My thoughts and love go out to the Mandela family. Rest in Peace Madiba. You will be missed, but your impact on this world will live forever
Tweet from Whoopi Goldberg @WhoopiGoldberg
I want 2give the world a hug I was told Mandeba just passed. Nelson Mandela R.I.P. Time for a well earned sleep.Condolences to his family
Former President George W. Bush
"Laura and I join the people of South Africa and the world in celebrating the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. President Mandela was one of the great forces for freedom and equality of our time. He bore his burdens with dignity and grace, and our world is better off because of his example. This great man will be missed, but his contributions will live on forever. Laura and I send our heartfelt sympathy to President Mandela's family and to the citizens of the nation he loved."
Senator Ted Cruz (R) Texas
"Nelson Mandela will live in history as an inspiration for defenders of liberty around the globe. He stood firm for decades on the principle that until all South Africans enjoyed equal liberties he would not leave prison himself, declaring in his autobiography, 'Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.' Because of his epic fight against injustice, an entire nation is now free.
"We mourn his loss and offer our condolences to his family and the people of South Africa."
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