The South African government on Thursday evening announced that a state funeral will be held for former president Nelson Mandela, who just died at the age of 95.

President Jacob Zuma said in a statement "Our beloved Mandela will be accorded a state funeral."

On Thursday evening, Zuma announced that Mandela passed away peacefully around 20:50 p.m. local time on Dec. 5

"Flags around the country will be flown at half-mast from Friday until after the funeral as we gather to pay our last respects," said the president.

Mandela was admitted to hospital with serious recurring lung infection several times in recent years.

He suffered from tuberculosis when he was incarcerated for 27 years before the apartheid ended in 1994.

After being discharged from hospital in Pretoria on Sept. 1, he started his final fight against the disease at his home in Johannesburg.

He was the first democratically-elected president in South Africa, having an honor of the state father in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6 , 2013)