Late Sen. Edward Kennedy honored by South Africa

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa is bestowing posthumous presidential honors on U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, who died of brain cancer in 2009.

In an announcement Monday, the office of South African President Jacob Zuma called Kennedy "a tireless campaigner for the introduction of sanctions against the apartheid regime."

Kennedy was among three foreigners honored for fighting apartheid, along with fellow American Randall Robinson, who led the anti-apartheid group TransAfrica and Russian academic Apollon B. Davidson, an African specialist.

In all, 31 people, including South African artists, scientists, sportsmen and heroes of the anti-apartheid movement, will be honored at a ceremony Friday, the 18th anniversary of South Africa's first all-race vote.