Winnie: Nelson Mandela will be remembered for his legacy

The ex-wife of Nelson Mandela has exclusively told ITV News he will be remembered for his legacy of peace and reconciliation.

Winnie Mandela, who was married to the former South African president for 38 years, told ITV News presenter Mark Austin: "At no point did he ever think of himself".

"His whole life belonged to the nation and to the world - and that is how we will remember him, that never at any stage thought of himself. He gave up everything for the nation".

Ms Mandela said she was "blessed to be there" when Madiba drew his last breath and described what happened in his final moments:

Although Ms Mandela said there was "still so much" her former husband had not done, she told Mark Austin she felt Nelson Mandela has "completed his journey".

"It was inevitable - it had to come sometime," she continued.

She said the moment the military came to take his body away was the "heaviest moment of all" as she realised he was "leaving the house for good":

"I must say, I must have a strong heart because that was very difficult to take". I couldn't contain myself," she said.

"The whole thing was so official. It struck me then, he was gone and that was the last journey for him."

Asked if was hard seeing Nelson Mandela's body lying in state, she said it was "very painful" as "in our African tradition we don’t display the departed".:

Watch the second part of Mark Austin's interview with Winnie Mandela on the ITV News at Ten