Johannesburg - Nelson Mandela on Monday paid tribute to singer and fellow anti-apartheid icon Miriam Makeba, calling her "South Africa's first lady of song."
"The sudden passing of our beloved Miriam has saddened us and our nation," the former South African president and Nobel laureate said.
"It was fitting that her last moments were spent on a stage, enriching the hearts and lives of others - and again in support of a good cause," he added.