JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s final white president Frederik (FW) de Klerk died Thursday, at age 85. His foundation released a statement Sunday.

De Klerk won international praise for his work in scrapping apartheid. In 1993, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize. Many are still struggling with conflicts of emotions.

Black South Africans are angry at his acts during apartheid as well as his failure to control political violence leading to South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994. His foundation stated that he was not eligible for a state funeral. Many opposed him.

“The FW de Klerk Foundation wishes to announce that FW de Klerk’s cremation and funeral will take place on Sunday, 21 November,” it said in statement. 

It stated that it was a private event for relatives and would not be available to the media.

De Klerk, 85, died after losing his battle against cancer. In a video, De Klerk’s foundation posted after his death. It apologises for his crimes against others during the decades of South African white minority rule.

He refused to apologize and provoked backlash last year, when he stated that apartheid wasn’t a crime against humanity. He was also viewed as a traitor by right-wing Afrikaners, who saw him as an enemy to white supremacy and nationalist causes.

His death was greeted with condolences by citizens and world leaders alike. They reflected his difficult place in history. He played a pivotal role in the end of one the most oppressive regimes, but also worked to end it.

Some saw his passing as a turning point in South Africa’s history.

Pusiletso Makofane, a 30-year-old South African, said that he felt like South Africa’s death helped it move onwards.