Nelson Mandela was South Africa's first post-apartheid-era president
US President George W Bush has signed a bill removing Nelson Mandela and South African leaders from the US terror watch list, officials say.
Mr Mandela and ANC party members will now be able to visit the US without a waiver from the secretary of state.
The African National Congress (ANC) was designated as a terrorist organisation by South Africa's old apartheid regime.
A US senator said the new legislation was a step towards removing the "shame of dishonouring this great leader".
'Rather embarrassing'
Under the legislation, members of the ANC could travel to the United Nations headquarters in New York but not to Washington DC or other parts of the United States.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had called the restrictions a "rather embarrassing matter that I still have to waive in my own counterpart, the foreign minister of South Africa, not to mention the great leader Nelson Mandela."
South Africa's apartheid government banned the ANC in 1960, imprisoning or forcing into exile its leaders.
Mr Mandela, who turns 90 this month, was released in 1990 after spending 27 years in prison.
He then became the country's first post-apartheid-era president, before retiring after serving one term in office.
Nelson Mandela has been classified as a terrorist since the time of Apartheid in South Africa 
Nelson Mandela has officially been taken off the US list of terrorists by the United States government. This comes after a statement by Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, who said that it was a "rather embarrassing matter that I still have to waive in ... the great leader Nelson Mandela," back in April.

The ruling, which also applied to all members of the African National Congress means that Mandela can travel to the United States without being approved by the Secretary of State.

Nelson Mandela has recently been in the media due to his upcoming 90th birthday. As part of the celebrations, a concert was held in Hyde Park, attended by many influential politicians, including Bill Clinton, former US president.

Nelson Mandela was a campaigner against apartheid who served one term as president of South Africa.


Last week the government of North Korea was removed from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. This announcement was made as a reward to North Korea for turning over all documents related to its controversial nuclear program. Pyongyang turned over to China documents related to its plutonium core and waste activities.