Frederik Willem de Klerk

F.W. de Klerk was elected State President of South Africa, succeeding P.W. Botha. He represented the National Party and was initially seen as a conservative, but soon surprised observers by initiating reforms that would dismantle apartheid.

De Klerk announced the unbanning of the African National Congress (ANC), the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), and the South African Communist Party. He also ordered the release of Nelson Mandela from prison on February 11, 1990, signaling the end of apartheid.

De Klerk led the National Party in the CODESA negotiations, resulting in an interim constitution that provided for a multiracial democracy. He and Mandela were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their efforts to end apartheid peacefully.

De Klerk oversaw South Africa's first fully democratic elections in April 1994, in which the ANC won overwhelmingly. He served as Deputy President under Nelson Mandela in the Government of National Unity, marking the formal end of apartheid.