President Cyril Ramaphosa lauds De Klerk’s legacy and calls South Africans to release him so he can rest in peace

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President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed a gathering at state memorial of former president FW de Klerk.

President Ramaphosa, said “while the country’s last apartheid-era head of state FW de Klerk played a critical role in the transition to democracy, the anger of those critical of his legacy must never be dismissed, “

The service got off to a shaky start as a handful of protesters attempted to disrupt it, at the Groote Kerk, in Cape Town on Sunday.

Protestors said De Klerk’s memorial was a painful reminder of apartheid.

De Klerk, died at his home in Fresnaye, Cape Town, on 11 November, after a long battle with cancer. He was laid to rest in a private ceremony. 

He had ruled over the final years of apartheid between 1989 and 1994.

“We cannot forget the lives that were lost, the land that was taken, the livelihoods that were destroyed because of the implementation of apartheid policies, the rights that were denied and the dreams that were shattered and dashed, ” said Ramaphosa.

Sources: SowetanLIVE, News24