The last white president of South Africa, the man who freed Nelson Mandela and helped negotiate the end of apartheid, has died at 85 after a battle with cancer
FW de Klerk came into power in 1989 under South Africa’s apartheid system of legalised racism and later became a key figure in the country’s transition to democracy.
Klerk was responsible for the release of Nelson Mandella from prison and was awarded a noble peace prize with Mandella for helping to end the apartheid era.
Opinions around his legacy still remain divided in South Africa, with some believing De Klerk should have done more to ensure accountability for the apartheid system.
Following his death, the FW de Klerk Foundation released a video recording, where he apologises for the pain and suffering endured by black, brown and Indians in South Africa”.
