* Army, police lock down Mandela ancestral village
* Jets enforce no-fly zone
* Grieving locals cashing in
QUNU, South Africa, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The arrival of an army of reporters, photographers and television crews for Nelson Mandela's funeral on Sunday has created a security nightmare for South African authorities - and the chance to make a quick buck for enterprising locals.
Police and soldiers have sealed off the centre of the anti-apartheid hero's ancestral village of Qunu, lying in rolling hills 700 km (450 miles) south of Johannesburg, and banished media to a field on top of a hill a kilometre from the cemetery.
In accordance with the wishes of Mandela's family to keep the ceremony private, the only pictures of the burial of one of the 20th century's greatest figures will be via the SABC state broadcaster and an official outside photographer.
In the skies above the village, fighter jets are enforcing a no-fly zone, both for the security of imminent high profile arrivals such as Britain's Prince Charles, and to prevent any prying eyes observing the rites from a passing helicopter.
A huge marquee erected on a hillside for mourning family members, tribal elders, top government figures and official guests blocks the view of nearly all of the family plot where three of Mandela's children are already buried.
That is not likely to deter photographers with long lenses from sneaking the last shot of South Africa's first black leader, as his coffin is lowered into the ground at the end of funerary rites expected to mix Xhosa tradition with military pomp and ceremony.
Armed patrols are scouring nearby hilltops and have already intercepted photographers scouting out vantage points offering any view of the graveside or mourners.
"If you have any access to private moments of the family, you will be removed," government spokeswoman Neo Momodu told a news conference on Friday.
Not everybody is unhappy about the descent of hundreds of reporters, TV anchors and crew members, generator technicians and satellite engineers on Qunu, a village of just a few hundred houses dotted across open fields.
Shortly after the announcement of Mandela's death on Dec. 5 at the age of 95, bed-and-breakfast owners in and around Qunu formed an ad hoc cartel, jacking up room rates by as much as three times.
A spartan room in a concrete bungalow that might normally cost 500 rand ($50) a night is now fetching up to 1,500 rand.
Roadside hawkers are also doing a roaring trade, catering for media men and women as well as security guards and curious on-lookers forced to take a detour off the main road linking the coastal cities of East London and Durban.
"We're self-employed. We've got to get by somehow," said Anna Kinana, manning a road-side stand selling hot dogs and grilled chicken with her sister.
Elsewhere, teenagers sat on cool-boxes beneath trees selling ice-cold cans of drinks to thirsty reporters.
"We're grieving in Qunu. We're in mourning. But we wanted to help out," said soft-drink seller Anelisiwe Mqungu.
The weather forecast for Sunday's open-air ceremony is for intermittent sunshine, a considerable improvement on the last few days of low cloud and driving rain - a sign of good fortune in Xhosa culture but a nightmare for media bosses, who are now praying Qunu's notoriously fickle weather holds.
On Tuesday, an all-day downpour disrupted a mass memorial in Johannesburg and the following day blanket fog in Qunu threatened to make a mockery of coverage plans drawn up over the last decade or more.
On Wednesday, with visibility reduced to no more than a few metres, live television positions set up with Mandela's home and the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape as a backdrop were instead treating viewers to an unadulterated sea of mist.
"All you could see was a wall of white," one reporter said. "It was so thick you could hardly see your hand in front of your face, and you definitely couldn't see the Mandela house." ($1 = 10.4227 South African rand) (Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa and Louise Ireland)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.