The body of Nelson Mandela has been transported to the amphitheatre where he was sworn in 19 years ago as South Africa's first black president and where he now will lie in state for three days.

A flag-draped coffin containing Mandela's remains left the capital's main military hospital accompanied by a cortege, and was taken to the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Thousands of people lined the streets to pay tribute to the anti-apartheid hero as motorcycle-riding police officers escorted the black hearse and army helicopters circled overhead.

"I just hope I won't cry," said Paul Letageng, 47, an employee of the seat of government, said. "It's amazing to think that 19 years ago he was inaugurated there, and now he's lying there. If he was not here we would not have had peace in South Africa."

The crowd sang old songs from the struggle against the apartheid regime but fell silent when the hearse arrived at the amphitheatre, which has been renamed after Mandela by President Jacob Zuma earlier this week.

The coffin was carried by eight warrant officers representing the various services and divisions of the South African National Defence Force.

The procession is to be repeated in the next two days. Mandela's remains are to be driven back to the 1 Military Hospital in the evenings and re-transported atop the hill overlooking Pretoria, which hosts the Union Buildings in the morning.

"The public are encouraged to form a guard of honour by lining the streets," the government said.

Mandela's body is then to be flown to Qunu, his ancestral home in the Eastern Cape Province, for burial.

READ:

Nelson Mandela Memorial Service in Pictures: Obama, Castro, Zuma [PHOTOS]

Nelson Mandela Memorial Service: How the Apartheid Heartland Remembered Madiba

Nelson Mandela Memorial Service: Barack Obama Shakes Hands with Cuba's Raul Castro [VIDEO]

Nelson Mandela: Inspirational Quotes from a Giant of History

Mandela Memorial Sign Language Interpreter was 'Faking It'

Mandela funeral procession
Military outriders escort the funeral cortege carrying the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela Reuters
Mandela Funeral procession Pretoria
A helicopter hovers over Nelson Mandela’s funeral procession Reuters
Mandela Slate South Africa
Military personnel carry the remains of the late Nelson Mandela at the Union Buildings in Pretoria Reuters
Mandela slate
The body of Nelson Mandela arrives at the Union Buildings in Pretoria Reuters
Madiba funeral procession
A woman wears South African flags in her hair at the funeral procession for Nelson Mandela Reuters
Mandela funeral South Africa
People wave South African national flags as the cortege carrying the coffin of former President Nelson Mandela passes through Pretoria Reuters
Mandela hearse
People wave as the hearse carrying the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela passes Reuters
Nelson Mandela cortege
People sing and dance before the cortege carrying the coffin of Nelson Mandela passes through the city centre of Pretoria Reuters
Military Mandela Funeral
Members of South Africa's military and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department prepare for Nelson Mandela's funeral cortege Reuters
Barack Obama Jacob Zuma South Africa