Sisulu's funeral held in Soweto

Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of Albertina Sisulu, who was considered the mother of South Africa's liberation struggle, officials said. Sisulu's funeral was held in a football stadium in Soweto Saturday following a week of national mourning, during which flags were flown at half-staff, CNN reported. Sisulu, 92, died at her home last week. "One of the most steadfast, dignified and disciplined pillars of our struggle has fallen," said South African President Jacob Zuma, who attended the funeral. "An era has ended." Sisulu's husband was anti-apartheid leader Walter Sisulu, who spent decades imprisoned with former South African President Nelson Mandela. Walter Sisulu died in 2003. In his book, "Long Walk to Freedom," Mandela said the couple's home was "a mecca for activists" during the fight against apartheid. "It was a warm (and) welcoming place," Mandela wrote, describing her has having "a wise and wonderful presence." Sisulu said she never regretted her life struggles. "Although politics has given me a rough life, there is absolutely nothing I regret about what I have done and what has happened to me and my family," Sisulu once said. "Instead, I have been strengthened and feel more of a woman than I would otherwise have felt if my life was different."