FW de Klerk: The Life of the Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Apartheid’s Last President
- Frederick Willem de Klerk was a politician who served as the President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994
- On 11 November, 2021, the FW de Klerk Foundation released a statement about his passing after he lost his battle to cancer
- Briefly News decided to honour the former statesman with an article about his life, career and time in politics
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1. Early life and childhood
De Klerk was born in 1936 to a politically inclined family; both his father and grandfather served in high office. De Klerk finished school in Krugersdorp and went on to study Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees at the Potchefstroom University.
Source: Getty Images
2. Early political career
SA history reported that from 1961 to 1972, De Klerk worked as an attorney in Vereeniging. He was actively a member of the Nationalist Party at the time. De Klerk was offered the position of Chair of Administrative Law at his alma mater but declined it due to being elected a member of Parliament.
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2. National Party
In 1975, De Klerk was employed as the information officer for the Transvaal National Party. During PW Botha's presidency, he held numerous ministerial positions. In the early 80s, De Klerk took over the position of the National Party's Transvaal leader.
In 1989, Botha resigned from his position as head of the National Party and De Klerk became president.
3. Policy of reform
After assuming the position of president, De Klerk announced that he would be creating a climate for negotiations that would put an end to the apartheid regime and bring forth a new constitution for the country.
Source: Getty Images
4. Release of Nelson Mandela
In 1990, De Klerk made his famous Parliamentary opening address and followed up with a move to release important political prisoners and to lift the bans on the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania and the African National Congress.
According to Britannica.com, after releasing the political prisoners, De Klerk met with black leaders and his Government passed legislation in 1991 that repealed racially discriminatory laws.
Source: Getty Images
De Klerk and Madiba worked hand-in-hand for transformations in the political sphere that subsequently ended the era of white minority rule in SA. Mandela and De Klerk even agreed on a timetable for the country to move towards a democratic country not based on race.
5. Nobel Peace Prize
In 1993, De Klerk and Mandela jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize for the parts they played in ending the apartheid regime.
Source: Getty Images
6. End of political career
FW de Klerk retired from politics in 1997. In 2000, he set up the FW de Klerk Foundation in an attempt to promote inter-community relations, reports JacarandaFM.
7. Battle with cancer and death
On 18 March, 2021, the former president's foundation announced that he had cancer. On 11 November, the foundation announced the death of the former politician. He was 85.
Former apartheid president FW de Klerk dies at age 85, people of Mzansi pay their respects
Earlier, Briefly News reported that the last president who ruled under the apartheid government, FW de Klerk, has passed away and Mzansi is in shock. Hearing the news, the people of Mzansi flocked to social media to pay their respects.
De Klerk’s presidency was a monumental one that lead to the closing of a very dark chapter in South Africa, and his memory will forever live on in the new beginning of our Rainbow Nation. Take a look at some of the posts made in De Klerk’s honour:
@MichaelJAvery said:
“With the passing today of FW de Klerk, on the 11th of 11th, one is naturally given to wonder whether we as South Africans will ever find true and lasting peace with each other.”
@MsentiLovestein said:
“FW de Klerk was the best president this country has ever had, I loved him and I send my condolences to his family.”
Source: Briefly News
