SOUTH AFRICA - SA PRESIDENT FW DE KLERK HAS DIED AT AGE 85

South Africa’s last apartheid president, FW de Klerk has died. He was 85-years-old.

His death was confirmed by the FW de Klerk Foundation's spokesperson Dave Steward to media on Thursday.

"The former president died earlier this morning at his home in Fresnaye after his struggle against cancer. He was 85-years-old. He is survived by his wife Elita, two children Susan and Jan, and his grandchildren,“ Steward told News24.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to announce details of De Klerk's state funeral.

De Klerk had been earlier this year diagnosed with mesothelioma - "a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs", the FW de Klerk Foundation said on its website.

On 2 February 1990, South African President FW de Klerk delivered a speech at the opening of the 1990 session of the Parliament of South Africa.

He announced sweeping reforms that marked the beginning of the negotiated transition from apartheid to constitutional democracy. The reforms included the unbanning of the African National Congress (ANC), The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and other anti-apartheid organizations, the release of political prisoners -including Nelson Mandela- the end of the state of emergency and a moratorium on the death penalty.

According to his foundation, De Klerk’s actions and speech marked the official end of segregation policies and the official start of the negotiations that led to a constitutional democracy with equal rights for all South Africans.

He was president from September 1989 until May 1994 and joined Mandela’s government of national unity as one of two deputy presidents in after the April 1994 democratic elections.

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