State mulling commemoration for former president FW De Klerk

Former president FW de Klerk was laid to rest last Sunday. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Former president FW de Klerk was laid to rest last Sunday. Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Published Nov 25, 2021

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Cape Town - The government is still considering holding a commemoration service for last apartheid president FW De Klerk, after his family had preferred to have a private funeral service.

The death of De Klerk had sparked a debate in the country on whether he should be given a state funeral or not.

But his family announced that it wanted a private ceremony and that he was going to be cremated.

The funeral took place last Sunday.

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said they would still have to discuss the possibility of a commemoration with his family.

“On the funeral of Mr De Klerk, may I take this opportunity to inform South Africans that the family opted for a family event in as far as this aspect is concerned. We are also looking at a possibility of a commemoration whose details I cannot be able to speak about. I have no doubt that even that one is a matter to be consulted with them,” said Gungubele.

The EFF and other parties had said De Klerk did not deserve to be granted a state funeral.

The parties also complained about the fact the had not accounted for some of the atrocities that happened in the past.

The PAC had also demanded answers on the raids in the early 1990s where five children were killed in the former Transkei.

Imtiaz Cajee, whose uncle Ahmed Timol was killed by the apartheid security forces in 1971, also said they were concerned about apartheid leaders who were dying without being held to account.

Former apartheid police office Joao Rodrigues died a few months ago without standing trial for the murder of Timol.

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Political Bureau