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The funeral of the former president, Frederik de Klerk, took place this Sunday, November 21. The last Head of state of the apartheid regime, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Nelson Mandela, died on November 11 at the age of 85 from lung cancer. His cremation and funeral took place in private, in the family and without media, while the figure of Frederik de Klerk remains very controversial in the country.
Although President Cyril Ramaphosa announced four days of national mourning, starting Wednesday evening, as well as the lowering of flags to half-mast, Frederik de Klerk will not receive a national funeral, as is customary for former heads of state.
An official ceremony should however be organized a little later, while the former president who contributed to the post-apartheid transition, remains a very controversial personality within the population.
Praised for ending the segregationist system – in 1990 – and freeing Nelson Mandela, he is also widely criticized for his lack of accountability. This is despite a video released after his death in which he apologized “unreservedly” for the pain caused by apartheid.