The Pope , Fidel Castro and Benjamin Netanyahu have n't attend Mandela Hall . The Tibetan Lama has n't been able to visit South Africa in the past . The Tibetan spiritual leader -- who is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate , as is Mandela -- was not granted a visa to visit South Africa the last two times he applied , likely because of pressure from China . The US and Israel have stand - ins .
The Pope , Fidel Castro and Benjamin Netanyahu have n't attend Mandela Hall . The Tibetan Lama has n't been able to visit South Africa in the past . The US and Israel have stand - ins .