Frederik Willem de Klerk, who served as South Africa’s last apartheid-era leader and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Nelson Mandela, has died after a battle with cancer, his spokesman says. He was 85 years old.
“The former president died earlier this morning at his home in Fresnaye after his struggle against cancer,” Dave Steward, the chairman of De Klerk’s foundation, said in a statement. De Klerk is survived by his wife Elita, his children Susan and Jan, and his grandchildren.
De Klerk was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, in March and had been receiving immunotherapy.
Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk were jointly awarded the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa.
On 2 February 1990, exactly one year after taking the reins as National Party leader, De Klerk announced to Parliament that he was unbanning the ANC, SACP, PAC and other liberation movements, and that he was releasing Nelson Mandela unconditionally. This led to a multi-party negotiation process between 1990 and 1994, paving the way for the democratic election.
The 1993 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to De Klerk and Mandela, who became the country’s first democratically elected president the following year.
De Klerk became the first leader of the opposition after the election and led his party from the Government of National Unity in June 1996. He retired from active politics in August 1997.
He testified at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on behalf of the National Party in August 1996 and May 1997, where his apology for apartheid was criticised as insufficient.
After his political career, he launched a foundation in his name, which sought to play a role in civil society as a watchdog and think-tank. He also became involved in a global leadership initiative called The Elders, consisting of former heads of state who advocated for the rule of law and human rights.
Recently, De Klerk became mired in controversy. In 2012, he defended aspects of apartheid during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and in 2020 he refused to concede that the system was a crime against humanity.
He is survived by his wife Elita (68), whom he married in November 1998, son Jan (57) and daughter Susan (52). His son Willem died of cancer in October 2020 at the age of 53. His former wife, Marike, whom he divorced in 1998, was murdered at the age of 64 in 2001.