Frederik Willem de Klerk was born in Johannesburg on March 18, 1936. He is the son of Senator Jan de Klerk, a minister in the South African government.
Klerk graduated with a law degree from Potchefstroom University in 1958 and then practised law in Vereeniging in the Transvaal. In 1969, he married Marike Willemse, with whom he has two sons and a daughter.
In 1972, Klerk made his political debut when he was elected to Parliament as National Party member from Vereeniging.
In 1978, Klerk was appointed Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and Social Welfare and Pensions by Prime Minister Vorster. Under Prime Minister P.W. Botha, he held a series of ministerial posts, including Posts and Telecommunications and Sports and Recreation (1978-1979); Mines, Energy and Environmental Planning (1979-1980); Mineral and Energy Affairs (1980-1982); Internal Affairs (1982-1985); and National Education and Planning (1984-1989). In 1985, he became chairman of the Minister’s Council in the House of Assembly. On December 1, 1986, he became the leader of the House of Assembly.
In February 1989, de Klerk was elected leader of the National Party and in September 1989 he was elected State President. When Klerk realised the apartheid system was leading to both economic and political bankruptcy, he put himself at the head of a radical change- calling for a nonracist South Africa and for negotiations about the country’s future.
In 1990, Klerk decided to release Mandela, leader of the anti-apartheid movement and ex-member of the African National Congress, who had been in prison since 1963.
Following Mandela’s release, the two politicians worked together to bring an end to the policy of racial segregation and drafted a new constitution establishing a democratic system of one person one vote. Both were awarded the Peace Prize in 1993 for this peaceful dialogue and negotiation.
After 1994. After the 1994 elections, De Klerk was appointed the Second Vice President in President Mandela’s cabinet. In 1997 De Klerk retired from politics.
