F.W. de Klerk | Saint Louis University


		Contact: Atlas Week atlas@slu.edu February 9, 2010 F.W. de Klerk Frederik Willem (F.W.) de Klerk was elected president of the Republic of South Africa on Sept. 15, 1989. Early in his presidency, the reform-minded de Klerk lifted the ban that had previously excluded South Africa from the African National Congress (ANC) and also released Nelson Mandela from a 27-year prison term. Mandela had been a political prisoner because of his opposition to the apartheid system that had been embedded in South African society for generations. During that same time, the de Klerk government also repealed many of the pro-apartheid laws in existence and freed more political prisoners. Then, working with Mandela, de Klerk was skillfully able to maneuver out of the adversity and chaos the new legislation triggered and move towards the adoption of a new constitution. Eventually, by 1993, the two men had cooperatively achieved an interim constitution that would take effect after the first election by universal suffrage in South Africa’s history took place in April 1994. These elections saw the ANC win the majority rule and Nelson Mandela chosen as president. Mandela then formed a government of national unity, with F.W. de Klerk as his second deputy vice president. For his efforts in helping to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa, de Klerk received the Prix du Courage Internationale (Prize for Political Courage) in 1992 and was co-recipient of the UNESCO Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize that same year. Also, in 1993 he was awarded the Philadelphia Liberty Medal. On Dec. 10, 1993 he was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Nelson Mandela. De Klerk formally retired from politics in 1997. In June 1999, de Klerk established The F.W. de Klerk Foundation to continue the success and stability of the new multicultural South African democracy. The foundation engages the diverse South African communities by popularizing and encouraging them to live by their constitution and bill of rights mandated by universal suffrage in 1996. In addition, the foundation also encourages and supports peace, democratic institutions, and communication in communities throughout the world that are divided along ethnic, cultural, and religious lines. Because of his experience with apartheid and divided societies, F.W. de Klerk now travels the world speaking on the importance of communication and understanding between diverse communities and the requirements for peaceful co-existence.