Question

Alas!Nelson Mandela is no more,' my grandfather said sadly. 'he was our hero when we were young' change to indirect speech

Answer 1

--- My grandfather said to me sadly that Nelson Mandela was no more and he was our hero when they are young.

Hope it will helps you fine....

Answer 2

My grandfather sadly exclaimed that Nelson Mandela was no more and was their hero when they were young.

RULES :

Past simple tense changes to past perfect.Direct speech = The words or sentences told by the first person shall be conveyed to the third person by the second person.This is because the first person told those words or sentences to the second person. And the second person wants to convey it to the third person by using the indirect speech or so called reported speech.