JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's ruling party Africa National Congress (ANC) is putting in place measures to ensure that there will be "no stampede" at former president Nelson Mandela's funeral at his rural home, a top party official said on Friday.

Mandela is the founding member of the ANC. He was born in Mvezo in the low residential area of Umutata in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa on July 18, 1918. He died at his home in Houghton around 8:50 p.m. local time on Thursday.

ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe, announced Friday morning on E-TV, a local private broadcaster, that authorities will ensure that Mandela's funeral remain a "family event not a mass rally."

Mantashe said Mandela affectionately known as Madiba will be mourned for 10 days and on the ninth day mourners will be migrating to his rural home in Umutata for the burial.

"The party is worried that local infrastructure in Umutata will not be able to handle this," Mantashe said as thousands of people from all provinces and neighboring nations are expected to flocking there.

"We are worried whether Umutata will be able to carry the load, " he said. "There is no stadium. We do want stampeded. It will be a family event not a mass rally," he added.

Mandela was inspired from childhood to take a leading role in the struggle for the freedom of his people. His party will be announcing place where gatherings in all provinces will take place and where people will go to put followers in various areas across the country, according to Mantashe.