18th July 2011

Happy Birthday....happy birthday to you.

Children sing happy birthday to Mandela

Johannesburg - Millions of children around the country have sung "Happy Birthday" to former president Nelson Mandela, to celebrate his 93rd birthday.

More than 12 million school pupils sang a special version of the song, written for the anti-apartheid leader, before lessons began on Monday.

Mandela Day - launched in 2009 and falling on the anti-apartheid icon's July 18 birthday - was conceived as an international day devoted to public service.

People around the world have been asked to mark the occasion by devoting 67 minutes of their time to work in their local community - one minute for every year of Mandela's public service.