De Klerk resigns as NP leader

Seven years after freeing Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, F.W. de Klerk, former South African president announced his retirement as the leader of the National Party (NP) and from public life. It was under his leadership where banned liberation organisations like the African National Congress (ANC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), South African Communist Party (SACP) and others were unbanned. His government played a significant role as it opened the door for the negotiations which, led to South Africa’s first non-racial polls on 27 April 1994. His announcement came at the time when the party experiencing difficulty due to infighting over its role in post-apartheid South Africa. De Klerk’s withdrawal from the political arena removed a pivotal figure in the country's history. Click here to read African National Congress Kwazulu branch's comment on de Klerk's resignation. Click here to read de Klerk' statement to the CNN, a day after his resignation.