South Africa’s last white president, Frederik Willem de Klerk, died on Thursday his foundation announced. He was aged 85.
De Klerk and South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for leading the “miracle” transition from white rule in the country.
His foundation had reported that he died after a battle with cancer.
De Klerk had announced his diagnosis on his 85th birthday, on March 18 this year.
“It is with the deepest sadness that the FW de Klerk Foundation must announce that former president FW de Klerk died peacefully at his home in Fresnaye earlier this morning following his struggle against mesothelioma cancer,” it said.
He was head of state between September 1989 and May 1994.
In 1990 he announced he was releasing anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, leading to multi-party polls in 1994.
FW de Klerk is survived by his wife Elita, his children Jan and Susan and his grandchildren, the statement said.
The former president was born in March 1936 in Johannesburg, into a line of Afrikaner politicians.
He worked as a lawyer and served in a series of ministerial posts before taking over from PW Botha as the head of the National Party in February 1989.