Willem de Klerk dies

Willem de Klerk, a former Rapport editor and the brother of ex-president FW de Klerk, died aged 81 in Johannesburg on Friday morning, the FW De Klerk Foundation said.

“Mr De Klerk died in the early hours of the morning. He has been ill for quite some time,” said Brenda Steyn, personal assistant to FW de Klerk.

“He died at his home in Johannesburg.”

De Klerk had been in and out of hospital in recent weeks, fighting pneumonia and several other infections.

Steyn said De Klerk’s brother would release a statement later in the day.

Willem de Klerk was a political analyst, former editor of Rapport newspaper and one of the founders of the Democratic Party.

Family spokesperson Pierre Potgieter confirmed to the Dispatch Online that De Klerk had died.—Sapa