FW de Klerk, the former president of South Africa and the last white person to lead the country, before the nation gained independence from ...
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FW de Klerk, the former president of South Africa and the last white person to lead the country, before the nation gained independence from white minority rule, has died.
He was 85.De Klerk, who was also a key figure in the nation's transition to democracy, had been diagnosed with cancer this year, a spokesman said.
He was head of state between September 1989 and May 1994. In 1990 he announced he was releasing anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, leading to multi-party polls in 1994.
De Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela for leading the "miracle" transition from white rule in the country. However, his role in the transition to democracy has always been highly contested.
A statement from the former president's FW de Klerk Foundation on Thursday read: "Former President FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye (Cape Town) earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer."
"He is survived by his wife Elita, his children Jan and Susan and his grandchildren," it said. The foundation had announced the diagnosis - a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs - in June this year.
He was born in March 1936 in Johannesburg, into a line of Afrikaner politicians. Then he worked as a lawyer and served in a series of ministerial posts before taking over from PW Botha as the head of the National Party in February 1989.
The following year he announced he was removing the ban on parties that included Mr Mandela's African National Congress (ANC).
His actions helped bring an end to apartheid-era South Africa, and he became one of the country's two deputy presidents after the multi-party elections in 1994 that saw Mr Mandela become president.
However, he has been a controversial figure in South Africa. Many black South Africans have blamed him for failing to curb violence during his time in power, while white extremists viewed his efforts to end apartheid as a betrayal.
Last year, he became embroiled in a row in which he was accused of playing down the seriousness of apartheid. He later apologised for "quibbling" over the matter.
A statement from the former president's FW de Klerk Foundation on Thursday read: "Former President FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye (Cape Town) earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer."
"He is survived by his wife Elita, his children Jan and Susan and his grandchildren," it said. The foundation had announced the diagnosis - a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs - in June this year.
He was born in March 1936 in Johannesburg, into a line of Afrikaner politicians. Then he worked as a lawyer and served in a series of ministerial posts before taking over from PW Botha as the head of the National Party in February 1989.
The following year he announced he was removing the ban on parties that included Mr Mandela's African National Congress (ANC).
His actions helped bring an end to apartheid-era South Africa, and he became one of the country's two deputy presidents after the multi-party elections in 1994 that saw Mr Mandela become president.
However, he has been a controversial figure in South Africa. Many black South Africans have blamed him for failing to curb violence during his time in power, while white extremists viewed his efforts to end apartheid as a betrayal.
Last year, he became embroiled in a row in which he was accused of playing down the seriousness of apartheid. He later apologised for "quibbling" over the matter.
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| FW de Klerk and Nelson Mandela |
Joining the National Party, to which he had family ties, he was elected to parliament and sat in the white-minority government of P. W. Botha, holding a succession of ministerial posts. As a minister, he supported and enforced apartheid, a system of racial segregation that privileged white South Africans.
After Botha resigned in 1989, de Klerk replaced him, first as leader of the National Party and then as State President. Although observers expected him to continue Botha's defence of apartheid, de Klerk decided to end the policy.
After Botha resigned in 1989, de Klerk replaced him, first as leader of the National Party and then as State President. Although observers expected him to continue Botha's defence of apartheid, de Klerk decided to end the policy.
He was aware that growing ethnic animosity and violence was leading South Africa into a racial civil war. Amid this violence, the state security forces committed widespread human rights abuses and encouraged violence between the Xhosa and Zulu people, although de Klerk later denied sanctioning such actions.
He permitted anti-apartheid marches to take place, legalised a range of previously banned anti-apartheid political parties, and freed imprisoned anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela. He also dismantled South Africa's nuclear weapons program.
De Klerk negotiated with Mandela to fully dismantle apartheid and establish a transition to universal suffrage. In 1993, he publicly apologised for apartheid's harmful effects, but not for apartheid itself.
De Klerk negotiated with Mandela to fully dismantle apartheid and establish a transition to universal suffrage. In 1993, he publicly apologised for apartheid's harmful effects, but not for apartheid itself.
He oversaw the 1994 non-racial election in which Mandela led the African National Congress (ANC) to victory; de Klerk's National Party took second place.
De Klerk then became Deputy President in Mandela's ANC-led coalition, the Government of National Unity. In this position, he supported the government's liberal economic policies but opposed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up to investigate past human rights abuses because he wanted total amnesty for political crimes.
His working relationship with Mandela was strained, although he later spoke fondly of him. In May 1996, after the National Party objected to the new constitution, de Klerk withdrew it from the coalition government; the party disbanded the following year and reformed as the New National Party. In 1997, he retired from active politics and thereafter lectured internationally. - Online Sources
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