FLANKED by his Ministers of Tourism and Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Perry Christie paid his respects to the remains of Nelson Mandela yesterday.

The body of the late national hero lay in state at the Union Buildings, the administrative headquarters of South Africa and site of Mr Mandela’s inauguration as South Africa’s first democratically elected president.

According to officials, Mr Christie was joined by fellow CARICOM Heads of Government Michel Martelly of Haiti and Kamla Persad Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago, with whom he held bilateral discussions on migration earlier in the week.

Mr Christie attended the state memorial service on Tuesday, along with an official delegation that was said to include the Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell and foreign service staff.

The state funeral for the anti-apartheid icon is scheduled for Sunday; however, the Prime Minister and his delegation are expected to leave Johannesburg today.