South Africa’s national flag will be raised at half-mast from Wednesday until Sunday as a mark of respect for the late president FW de Klerk, the last apartheid-era leader who died last week from lung cancer, the presidency has announced.
According to a statement from the presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa directed the national flag to be flown at half-mast for five days at all government offices in honour of the fallen leader who died of lung cancer which he made a public announcement in March this year.
The high office said that government, which denied de Klerk a state funeral, would in due course also announce a state memorial service to be held in his honour as well.
“Government has consulted the de Klerk family and the FW de Klerk Foundation as part of preparing for this event in which government leaders, leaders of political parties and representatives of civil society will participate,” the presidency added.
The foundation announced that de Klerk would be cremated on Sunday, followed by his funeral, and both ceremonies would be held in private where media would not be allowed.
He was state president from 1989 to 1994, and deputy president in the democratic dispensation from 1994 to 1996 under President Nelson Mandela — who died in 2013.
De Klerk died at the age of 85 in Cape Town last Thursday.
NM/jn/APA