South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said De Klerk's death "should inspire all of us to reflect on the birth of our democracy". After working for more than a decade as a lawyer, De Klerk won a parliamentary seat for the National Party, which had introduced the system of apartheid in He served in several ministerial posts before taking over as the head of the party in February , and months later becoming president.
De Klerk had been a firm believer in apartheid, but after coming to power he publicly called for a non-racist South Africa. In a famous speech to parliament in , he announced that he was removing the ban on parties that included Mandela's African National Congress ANC and said he was ordering Mandela's release from prison after 27 years.
His actions helped bring an end to apartheid-era South Africa, and he became one of the country's two deputy presidents after the multi-party elections in that saw Mandela become president. De Klerk retired from politics in , saying: "I am convinced it is in the best interest of the party and the country.
Although the relationship between De Klerk and Mandela was often punctuated by bitter disagreements, the new president described the man he succeeded as someone of great integrity.
It is also an uneven one, something South Africans are called to reckon with in this moment," it added. Many have blamed De Klerk for violence committed against black South Africans and anti-apartheid activists during his time in power.
Last year, he became embroiled in a row in which he was accused of playing down the seriousness of apartheid , after saying he was "not fully agreeing" with a presenter who asked him to confirm that it was a crime against humanity. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. As head of state from to , Mr de Klerk oversaw the end of South Africa's white minority rule. He and his government dismantled the apartheid system of institutionalised racial segregation and introduced voting rights for black South Africans.
In a speech that made history, he announced he was releasing anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela from prison after 27 years and lifting the ban on opposition parties like the African National Congress. Mr de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mr Mandela in , but his role in the transition to democracy remains a source of controversy. COP World leaders agree climate change deal but 'deep disappointment' over fossil fuel compromise.
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Mr de Klerk had kept the decision to release Mr Mandela a closely-guarded secret, fearing a leak and backlash from right-wing white South Africans.
When Mr de Klerk celebrated his 70th birthday in , Mr Mandela praised his predecessor for taking that plunge into the political unknown. De Klerk did not seem to fit easily into the role of a Nobel laureate. He remained a target of anger for some white South Africans who saw his actions as a betrayal. Though he publicly apologized for the pain and humiliation that apartheid caused, he was never cheered and embraced as an icon, as Mandela was.
Apartheid starved the Black South African education system of resources, criminalized interracial relations, created black slums on the edges of white cities, and tore apart families. He earned a law degree and practiced law before turning to politics and being elected to parliament. In , he was appointed to the first of a series of ministerial posts, including Internal Affairs. The moves only increased bitterness over apartheid, while international pressure for more fundamental changes increased.
In Streetwise Hebrew for the Times of Israel Community, each month we learn several colloquial Hebrew phrases around a common theme. These are bite-size audio Hebrew classes that we think you'll really enjoy. This month, we're learning phrases on the topic of strength and power. Ready to get tough with us? So now we have a request.
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