The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg extends its sincerest apologies to the family members, friends, fellow South Africans and global citizens for an obituary related to the death of former president Nelson Mandela that was not published or issued by the University.

The University had prepared a statement which was hidden on its systems. However, a technical error made this available via the search function on Google. At no stage did the University issue this statement or publish it on its website.

The University regrets the mishap and will take all the necessary steps to get to the root of the technical error and to ensure that the responsible departments are held accountable for this incident.