President Cyril Ramaphosa said that while the country’s last apartheid-era head of state played a critical role in the transition to democracy, the anger of those critical of FW de Klerk’s legacy must never be dismissed.
South Africa paid tribute to De Klerk on Sunday during a State Memorial Service in Cape Town’s historical Groote Kerk.
De Klerk served as deputy president to Nelson Mandela in the Government of National Unity.
He died last month with many accusing him of never fully owning up to the horrors of the apartheid regime.
Delivering his eulogy, Ramaphosa hailed De Klerk for his bravery.
The president, however, acknowledged the lasting sense of injustice felt by many South Africans.
“We can never forget the lives that were lost, the families that were torn apart, the land that was taken. We can never forget the humiliation of an entire people nor must we ever forget the responsibility that we each bear to consign such suffering and injustice to the past,” Ramaphosa said.
Elita de Klerk said her late husband was a man of great values and strong beliefs who struggled to find peace in the cruelty of the apartheid system.
“He was torn between intellect and emotion. He could not find peace in this system. We often discussed how much this system of oppression had scarred the African soil,” she said.
Some protesters who gathered outside the church called the state memorial a painful reminder.
-EWN
In other news – 8 months later: AKA shares romantic video with late Nelli Tembe (WATCH)
Mzansi rapper AKA remembers his late fiancee, Anele Nelli Tembe on her 8th month death anniversary. The 11th of April, 2021 was a sad day, as the 21-year-old was announced dead after jumping off a storey building, where she and the rapper lodged.
Taking to Instagram this Sunday, Supa Mega shared one of their Tik Tok videos. In the video, Anele was busy doing her thing in the kitchen, while AKA came in to serve some leg works, and she also joined in the dance. Learn More
