JOHANNESBURG, (The Southern African Times) – South Africa’s last apartheid president Frederik de Klerk passed away at the age of 85 because of cancer complications on Thursday morning, said the FW de Klerk Foundation.
“It is with the deepest sadness that the FW de Klerk Foundation must announce that former President FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer. He is survived by his wife Elita, his children Jan and Susan and his grandchildren. The family will, in due course, make an announcement regarding funeral arrangements,” said the foundation in a statement.
De Klerk was the South African President from 1989 to 1994. He played a crucial role in negotiating with the African National Congress (ANC) and other role players to lift the ban on liberation movements, leading to the election of the country’s first black president, Nelson Mandela.
When Mandela became President in 1994, he appointed de Klerk his deputy until 1996. De Klerk also received many awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, earning wide praise for dismantling apartheid and bringing universal suffrage to South Africa.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) has sent messages of condolences to the de Klerk family. The NMF said de Klerk contributed immensely to the transformation of South Africa.
“De Klerk’s legacy is a big one. It is also an uneven one, something South Africans are called to reckon with in this moment. De Klerk will forever be linked to Nelson Mandela in the annals of South African history. As head of state, he oversaw the release of Madiba (Nelson Mandela) from prison on Feb. 11, 1990. In 1993 they were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ushering in a negotiated settlement that led to South Africa holding its first democratic election in 1994,” said the NMF.
