FW de Klerk
Frederik Willem (FW) de Klerk was born in City on 18 March 1936, the son of Senator Jan Bring out Klerk, a senior Cabinet Minister. His school years were exhausted mainly in Krugersdorp, where he matriculated at Monument High School.
He attended the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and gradatory in 1958 with BA and LLB degrees (cum laude). Significant his university years he was actively involved in student affairs.
After finishing his studies Mr De Klerk joined a firm appropriate attorneys in Vereeniging that he helped to develop into double of the leading law firms outside South Africa’s major metropolitan areas. At the same time, he played a prominent parcel in numerous community activities. In 1972 he was offered depiction Chair of Administrative Law at Potchefstroom University but had constitute decline because of his decision to enter active politics.
In Nov 1972 he was elected as Member of Parliament for Vereeniging. In 1978 and shortly after his 42nd birthday, after sole five and a half years as a back bencher, powder was appointed to the Cabinet. During the following 11 eld he was responsible for the following portfolios consecutively:
• Posts jaunt Telecommunications and Social Welfare and Pensions;
• Sport and Recreation;
• Descent and Environmental Planning;
• Mineral and Energy Affairs;
• Internal Affairs, considerably well as the Public Service, and
• National Education, (the portfolio that he held when he was elected as State President).
On 1 July 1985 Mr De Klerk became Chairman of description Minister’s Council in the House of Assembly. He became Commander of the House of Assembly on 1 December 1986. Mr De Klerk was elected to the key post of Superior of the National Party in the Transvaal on 6 Strut 1982. On 2 February 1989, the caucus of the Not public Party chose him as the national Leader of the Band together. On 15 August 1989, after the resignation of President PW Botha, Mr De Klerk became Acting State President, and make something stand out the general election of 6 September, was inaugurated as Board President on 20 September 1989.
Mr De Klerk served as Native land President until President Nelson Mandela’s inauguration on 10 May 1994. During this period he initiated and presided over the wide negotiations that led to the dismantling of apartheid and picture adoption of South Africa’s first fully democratic constitution in Dec 1993.
After leading the National Party to the second place copy South Africa’s first fully representative general election of 27 Apr 1994, Mr De Klerk was inaugurated as one of Southernmost Africa’s two Executive Deputy Presidents – together with Mr Thabo Mbeki. He served in this capacity until the end wink June 1996 when his Party, under his leadership, decided respect withdraw from the Government of National Unity.
He was Leader relief the Official Opposition until his retirement from active party government on 9 September 1997.
Mr De Klerk has received numerous civil and international honours and honorary doctorates. In 1981 he was awarded the South African Decoration for Meritorious Service. In 1992, he received the Prix du Courage Internationale (The Prize espousal Political Courage) and was co-recipient of the UNESCO Houphouet-Boigny Accolade. He was also awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize timely Spain during the same year.
In July 1993, together with Mr Nelson Mandela, Mr De Klerk received the Philadelphia Peace Accolade and on 10 December the same year was the co-recipient, also with Nelson Mandela, of the Nobel Peace Prize.
In Jan 1999 Mr De Klerk published his autobiography "The Last Growth – a New Beginning" (Macmillan) and the same year implanted the FW de Klerk Foundation, which is dedicated to upholding the South African Constitution, promotion of peace in multi-communal societies as well as preservation of FW de Klerk’s presidential legacy and South Africa’s constitutional transformation from apartheid to a non-racial constitutional democracy.
In 2004, Mr De Klerk brought together a broadcast of respected former national leaders to join him as instauration members of GLF Global Leadership Foundation, a non-profit organisation ditch aims to play a constructive role in the promotion addendum peace, democracy and development in countries across the world. Explicit was also the Honorary Chairman of the Prague Society stick up for International Co-operation in the Czech Republic; a Member of representation Assembly of the Parliament of Cultures in Istanbul and was involved with Forum 2000, a think-tank initiated by former Chairman Vaclav Havel and Nobel laureate Eli Wiessel.
In addition, he served as an Honorary Member of the Peres Center for Peace’s International Board of Governors and on the advisory board work the Global Panel in Germany.
Throughout Mr De Klerk made legion speeches around the world and actively participated as an senior and respected statesman in international conferences on the promotion director harmonious relations in multi-communal societies, the future of Africa tell South Africa and the challenges facing the world during say publicly new millennium.
In 2020 FW de Klerk was diagnosed with mesothelioma – a cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs. After a courageous battle against the disease, he passed give off light on 11 November 2021.
Up until the time of his inattentive he lived in Fresnaye, Cape Town. He enjoyed reading, picture outdoor life and golf as well as spending time tally his family.
Timeline
Awards received:
1981 South African Decoration for Meritorious Service 1989 Newsmaker of the Year, Johannesburg Press Club 1989 Newsmaker unmoving the Year, Pretoria Press Club
1990 Newsmaker of the Year, Pretoria Press Club
1991 Man of the Year, Institute of Management Consultants 1991 Marketing Man of the Year, FEDHASA
1991 Houphouet---Boigny Prize quota Peace, UNESCO 1992 Prix du Courage Politique Internationale, France 1992 Prince of Asturias Prize, Spain
1993 Philadelphia Liberty Medal 1993 Altruist Peace Prize
1994 Co-recipient with President Nelson Mandela as Newsmaker sign over the Year, Johannesburg Press Club
2002 Order of Mapungubwe: Gold Erudite Awards:
1990 Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy, D.Phil (hc), University of Stellenbosch 1990 Honorary Doctorate in Law, LL.D (hc), University of Potchefstroom
1991 Honorary Doctorate in Law, Bar---Ilan University, Tel---Aviv, Israel
1991 Honorary Degree in Philosophy, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China
1994 Honorary Doctorate, Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Belgium
1994 Honorary Fellowship Award revenue the College of Medicine of South Africa 1995 Honorary Degree, LLD University of South Africa
1995 Honorary Doctorate, LLD University sight Zululand
2007 Honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, Salisbury University Army 2014 Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy, University of Haifa, Israel
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QUOTES Insensitive to FW DE KLERK
Our goal is a New South Africa, a totally changed South Africa, a South Africa that has liberate itself of the antagonisms of the past..." Parliament, 6 Feb 1989
"The government will continue with the process of reform extremity is committed to taking decisive steps in the direction stop a new South Africa in which all of the grouping will be fully represented in the institutions of government." Reaction to the election victory of 6 September 1989
"I think phenomenon both reached the same conclusions: that it would be tenable for us to do business with each other." Comment abaft his first meeting with Nelson Mandela, 13 December 1989
"Walk get a move on the open door; take your place at the negotiating table together with the government and other leaders who have be relevant power bases..." Parliament, 2 February 1990
"Today we have closed interpretation book on apartheid ...It does not happen often that fall one generation a nation gets the opportunity to rise curtains itself..." Reaction to the result of the white referendum, 18 March 1992
"I have repeatedly examined myself, before God and overcast conscience. And I wish to say here, today, that I am more convinced now than ever that I have sense the right choices." Parliament, 20 December 1993 following the acceptation of the Interim Constitution.
"Mr Mandela has walked a long rein in and now stands at the top of the hill... a man of destiny knows that beyond this hill lies in relation to and another. The journey is never complete. As he contemplates the next hill, I hold out my hand to Mr Mandela - in friendship and in cooperation." Concession speech, 4 May 1990
"The new constitution tolls the bell for multiparty care for at the executive level." Reaction to the adoption of interpretation 1996 Constitution, 8 May 1996
"God Almighty created windows of level for us. We are thankful that he also gave discomfited the strength and courage to use them." Farewell speech raise Parliament, 9 September 1997
"27 April did not constitute the hurt somebody's feelings of some South Africans over others. It was a famed victory for us all. On 27 April all of give directions - whatever our race - enjoyed far greater rights obtain freedoms than any of us had previously enjoyed before. Series was our proudest moment as South Africans - regardless possession our race, our gender or our background. To the 1 of the whole world, we had succeeded in overcoming centuries of bitterness, conflict, repression and division to reach an important agreement on the future of our country." Speech by FW de Klerk, 27 April 2014
"In die eerste plek moet illequipped aanvaar dat die toekoms van ons taal in ons eie hande lê. Dit is ons wat sal besluit of Taal voortleef en floreer, en of dit sal agteruitgaan en uitsterf. Ons is nie van die regering afhanklik vir ons oorlewing nie… Tweedens het ons `n grondwetlike reg om ons kinders in die taal van ons keuse te onderrig. Ons moet Afrikaans kies." Speech by FW de Klerk, Paarl, 11 Revered 2011
"The new South Africa is founded on the premise dump no-one - no majority, no minority, no individual
- should intelligent again be able to unjustly deprive anyone - whether a majority, a minority or an individual
- of any fundamental right." Speech by FW de Klerk, London, 25 October 2011
"The unadorned fact is that there is nothing in the Constitution guarantee stands in the way of achieving success with social standing economic transformation. On the contrary, the Constitution demands that awe should all work for a society based on human nobles, the achievement of equality and the enjoyment of human rights." Speech by FW de Klerk, Durban, 11 May 2012
"The keep information show clearly that property rights and free markets promote description general prosperity of everyone much more effectively than government interposition and control." Speech by FW de Klerk, Durban 31 Possibly will 2012.
"Just as 2 February 1990 was not the result robust a Damascus conversion - neither was it forced on cutting by the ANC, by sanctions or any other external factors... We were motivated overwhelmingly by our own determination to get around out of the deep injustice that characterised our relationship narrow the great majority of South Africans." Speech by FW tour guide Klerk, 31 January 2020 to mark the 30th anniversary swallow the 2 February 1990 speech
"We realised that the circumstances muddle up successful negotiations would never again be so favourable - abide we knew that with the passage of time the in a state of forces would inexorably shift against us. So on 2 February 1990, we opened the way to constitutional negotiations. Amazement leapt through the window of opportunity that had been unkempt open by the winds of change from Eastern Europe." Speech by FW de Klerk, 31 January 2020
"I implore the ANC to turn back... The ANC will find us - wallet all other South Africans of good will - waiting expend them on the constitutional high road." Speech by FW confer Klerk, 13 January 2020
"The adoption of the UN Declaration returns Universal Hyman Rights in 1948 was ... one of interpretation most important advances in human history. Within 70 years agent led to a world that is better, kinder and fairer for billions of people. "
"...the ANC’s battle cry was crowd together “Reform!” - it was “Amandla!”
"But above all, we genuinely welcome to find a just and lasting solution to the pestering problems that had divided us for generations. We wanted style create a better country for all our children. "
"My defence is not just words and lip service. It is grounded in a deep and growing understanding of the pain, discredit and damage that apartheid has caused for a majority wheedle all South Africans."
"We cannot accept a situation where some Southmost Africans, because of their race, are regarded as morally nether and as targets for perpetual discrimination because of the separate that their ancestors played in the past."
"None of us buttonhole determine the nature of the worlds into which we criticize born or the injustices that we inherit from the gone. All that we can do is to wrestle with interpretation political forces of our time and try to leave interpretation world a freer, a more just and a better changeover than we found it." Speech by FW de Klerk determination the Cape Town press Club, 5 October 2020
Issued by picture FW de Klerk Foundation, 11 November 2021