DHAKA: The South African government said on Thursday it would not release photographs of Nelson Mandela lying in state, and urged people to shun a purported image of the dead president posted on the internet.

While tens of thousands queued to file past the democracy icon’s open coffin in Pretoria, social media was buzzing with condemnation of an apparent sneaked photo of the president’s face that had been posted online.

‘Government is aware of social media activity on the existence or otherwise of a picture of President Mandela lying in state,’ said an official statement, reports The Straits Times.

It welcomed social media users’ widespread condemnation of the act.

BDST: 1834 HRS, DEC 12, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor