FORMER president FW de Klerk will be cremated at a private funeral on Sunday, 21 November.
This was announced by the FW de Klerk Foundation on Monday, 15 November.
De Klerk (85) died at his home in Fresnaye, Cape Town on Thursday, 11 November after losing his battle with cancer.
His death drew mixed reactions among South Africans, which included deep anger.
Many called on government not to grant him a state funeral.
But Anna Ngwenya (51) believes it should.
She said unlike other apartheid presidents, De Klerk wasn’t stubborn, but played a role in ending apartheid.
“Other boere presidents refused to free us and our people who were in prison,” she said.
Abram Daki (59) shared Anna’s sentiments.
He said there’s democracy because of De Klerk.
“We regarded him as our president, so he deserves to be buried like other presidents,” he said.
But Albert Skhwela (56) felt it was only fair his family carries the cost of his burial.
He said De Klerk may have played a part in freeing former president Nelson Mandela from prison, but he was one of those who caused pain for black people.
“He may have apologised, but he did it late. Maybe we would have forgiven him,” he said.
The EFF were the first to oppose a state funeral for De Klerk. The party said: “To honour De Klerk with a state funeral would be to spit in the face of gallant liberation heroes who suffered in his hands and had their children murdered in his quest to stifle the freedom of black people.”
Even media personality Pearl Thusi was against it.
She tweeted: “If FW de Klerk gets a state funeral, that will be a huge middle finger to the people who suffered under the apartheid regime in this country.”
Social media users also had a say in the matter.
- @t0ott00t said: “The ANC has done at least as much damage to South Africa as the NP under FW. South Africa deserved better so a private cremation is in order for FW and any future president.”
- @popeyethesailoh said: “The whole purpose of a state funeral is that it is extravagant. The symbolism of a FW funeral would be horrible. He was president over one of the most evil governments in human history. If we can agree that Hitler doesn’t deserve a state funeral, neither does FW.”
- @jojolicious said: “He deserves one. He is still our former state president.”
- @Debs26067258 said: “He doesn’t need one, he will be surrounded by enough people that respected him. RIP one of South Africa’s braves, who knew a new future was needed for this country to fix mistakes our forefathers made.”
