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Frederick Willem De Klerk
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Frederick Willem De Klerk was born in Johannesburg on the 18th March 1936. He graduated in Law in 1958 and set up in legal practice in Vereeniging. Soon afterwards, he began his political activities.
He was elected as parliamentary deputy for Vereeniging in 1972. Six years later he became a member of the Cabinet and held office in several different ministries. On the 1st July 1985 he was elected as President of the Assembly Cabinet, and Head of the Assembly on the 1st December 1986. On the 15th September 1989 he succeeded Pieter Botha as President of South Africa.
Mandela was freed during President De Klerk's term of office. From their respective positions, both Mandela and De Klerk have negotiated for the great reforms that are gradually making it possible to abolish the apartheid system of racial segregation in South Africa, a policy which until very recently had resulted in the practically complete isolation of the country from the rest of the world.