De Klerk, F.W.

De Klerk, F.W. (March 19, 1936 - )

Frederik Willem de Klerk was the last President while apartheid was still the official guiding principle in South Africa and is renowned for the role he played in putting an end to racial segregation laws in the country. Although he had supported segregation policies early in his political career, when he became President he lifted the ban on the African National Congress (ANC) and released Nelson Mandela from prison. He supported the transition of South Africa into a multi-racial democracy and was a Deputy President during Mandela’s presidency before retiring from politics in 1997.

External links and references:

• South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world, article by de Klerk in Global Education Magazine.
• "Managing Diversity is World's Challenge", Ubben lecture
• Interview by "The World Post"