Emma Rumney and Promit Mukherjee

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) -South Africa’s former white president Frederik Willem FW (FW) de Klerk died Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

De Klerk was praised for his efforts in eradicating apartheid. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 with Mandela. Mandela, along with the African National Congress (ANC) won South Africa’s first ever multiracial election in 1993.

Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa, sent condolences and paid tribute to de Klerk for his “vital” role in South Africa’s 1990s democracy transition.

Ramphosa declared, “He made the bold decision (as president), unban political parties, free political prisoners and engage in negotiations with liberation movements amid strong pressure from many within his political constituency.”

Mandela’s foundation also stated that de Klerk would be “forever linked to Nelson Mandela within the annals South African History”.

But, it is highly disputable that de Klerk played any role in the transition of minority rule to democracy.

Blacks felt angered at his inability to control political violence in turbulent years preceding the 1994 election. However, right-wing white Afrikaners living under de Klerk’s National Party considered him a traitor to white supremacy and nationalalism.

De Klerk’s Foundation said that De Klerk had passed away peacefully at home in Cape Town after losing his battle against mesothelioma. The cancer affects the tissue of the lungs.

It stated that he is survived by Elita his wife, Jan and Susan his children, and his grandchildren.

PRAISE AND CRITICISM

In a release by his office, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said that FW de Klerk should rest in peace, and may he rise in glory.” He was a combat veteran in the fight against white minority rule, and is often regarded as South Africa’s moral conscience.

John Steenhuisen is the leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second largest party. He said that de Klerk’s ability to bring the majority white voters along with him on the issue of abolishing apartheid made it possible for “the peaceful transition” to occur.

Although it is the main opposition to the ANC’s, the DA has not been able to shake its reputation as a party of privilege.

Julius Malema (head of Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters – the country’s third-largest political party) was harsher, saying de Klerk should not be considered a “former President”, but rather a former Apartheid president.

Criticisms of de Klerk took Twitter (NYSE: ) to express their disapproval at his state funeral, citing his links to apartheid rule.

Mandela, who was killed in 2013, acknowledged his role as a catalyst in the transformation to multi-racial democracy in “Long Walk to Freedom” de Klerk in his autobiography.

He wrote, “To make peace against an enemy one has to work with him. And that enemy becomes one’s partner.”

Although de Klerk is now a long-retired politician, he angered Jacob Zuma’s supporters in 2016, accusing them of trying to promote their own interests while threatening South African democracy.

Last year, De Klerk was again criticised when he stated to a national broadcaster that apartheid is not a crime against humanity. This statement had been made by the United Nations.

Due to his comments, de Klerk had to withdraw form a seminar hosted by American Bar Association in the United States. He was scheduled to talk on racism and minority rights.