OPINION

The life and career of FW de Klerk: Part 6

Late former President discusses the national insurrection and State of Emergency in the mid-1980s

In episode 6 of the FW de Klerk Foundation's exclusive biographical videos on former President FW de Klerk, viewers will continue to learn about the period between 1984 and 1988, with a particular focus on the factors that led to transformation.

Topics covered include the success of the State of Emergency and the restoration of order; the sanctions and international isolation; the battles in Southern Angola; the Soviet decision to withdraw from Southern Africa; the Tripartite Agreement of 1988; the implementation of the UN Independence Plan in Namibia; the acceptance by all sides that there could not be a military/revolutionary solution; and the changing of white attitudes. 

Released for the first time on what would have been FW de Klerk’s 87th birthday on 18 March, the series of 17 exclusive video interviews feature the former president sharing his memories of his life and career with FW de Klerk Foundation Chairman and long-time associate and friend, Dave Steward.

The Foundation will continue to release a new episode every two weeks and hopes that the videos – together with the proposed FW de Klerk Archive – will contribute towards the preservation of FW de Klerk’s legacy and provide a useful resource for scholars, historians and anyone interested in learning more about the crucial role that he played in the constitutional transformation of South Africa.