South African kids flown from Mandela’s birthplace to celebrate anti-apartheid icon’s birthday

South African kids celebrate birthday with Mandela

JOHANNESBURG — Children from the village where Nelson Mandela was born and another nearby where he was raised have been flown to Johannesburg to help him celebrate his birthday.

Mandela turns 92 Sunday, and 92 children aged from six to 12 from southern South Africa were flown courtesy of the national carrier to visit with him at his Johannesburg home Saturday. They sang him a birthday song.

In a statement, his office quotes him as saying, “I like being with young children.”

People around the world have been asked to mark the anti-apartheid leader’s birthday as Mandela Day. The day, inaugurated last year, is to be devoted to public service.