Qunu - Motorists stopped at Nelson Mandela's home in Qunu on Thursday afternoon to leave flowers for the ailing former president.
“We knew we were coming this way and so we wanted to stop and leave flowers for Mr Mandela,” said Lizette Muller, who was on her way to the Grahamstown Festival from Durban with her three-year-old daughter Elizabeth.
“We couldn't find any flowers in Mthatha, and so we stopped at the Ultra City garage and picked some wild flowers, which we left at the rocks at the entrance of the house.”
Earlier, a mother and her son stopped at the house to give a bouquet of white flowers to the guard on duty at the entrance.
Journalists from around the world have parked their vehicles along the N2 highway outside Mandela's house; they filed copy and did live television and radio crossings throughout Thursday.
Residents of Qunu have gone about their day as normal.
One group of boys took their makeshift go-cart for a spin down a dirt road near Mandela's house.
Others herded goats and sheep across the N2 highway.
In the Qunu community centre, a team of tourism officials registered locals to take part in a “home stay” project for tourists.
Road construction workers have been working day and night in the past weeks to upgrade the N2 around Mandela's home. - Sapa