Editing F. W. de Klerk (section)

===Illness and death===

{{Quote box|align=right|width=30%|quote=Allow me in this last message to share with you the fact that since the early 80s, my views changed completely. It was as if I had a conversion. And in my heart of hearts, I realized that apartheid was wrong. I realized that we had arrived at a place which was morally unjustifiable. My conversion, to which I refer didn't end with the admission to myself of the total unacceptability of apartheid. It motivated us in the National Party to take the initiatives we took from the time that I became leader of the National Party. And more specifically, during my presidency. We did not only admit the wrongness of apartheid, we took far-reaching measures to ensure negotiation and a new dispensation which could bring justice to all.| source=—&thinsp;de Klerk's final message<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/text-de-klerks-video-message-south-africa-2021-11-11/|title=Text of de Klerk's video message to South Africa|work=[[Reuters]]|date=November 11, 2021|access-date=November 12, 2021|archive-date=13 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113034302/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/text-de-klerks-video-message-south-africa-2021-11-11/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

On 19 March 2021, a day after his 85th birthday, it was announced that de Klerk had been diagnosed with [[mesothelioma]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/fw-de-klerk-diagnosed-with-cancer-undergoes-treatment-b085e48a-895e-42ba-817b-1d20b3a61d3c |first=Lee |last=Rondganger |date=19 March 2021 |title=FW de Klerk diagnosed with cancer, undergoes treatment |website=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]] |access-date=11 November 2021 |archive-date=11 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111174057/https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/fw-de-klerk-diagnosed-with-cancer-undergoes-treatment-b085e48a-895e-42ba-817b-1d20b3a61d3c |url-status=live }}</ref> He died from complications of the disease in his sleep at his home in Fresnaye, Cape Town on 11 November 2021, at the age of 85.<ref name="death-bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-59247115|title=FW de Klerk: South Africa's former president dies at 85|work=[[BBC News]]|date=11 November 2021|access-date=11 November 2021|archive-date=11 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111103733/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-59247115|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Lacey|first=Marc|date=11 November 2021|title=F.W. de Klerk, Last President of Apartheid South Africa, Dies at 85|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/world/africa/fw-de-klerk-dead.html|access-date=11 November 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=11 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111105004/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/world/africa/fw-de-klerk-dead.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=F.W. de Klerk, South African Nobel Prize winner for opening government, dies at 85|language=en-US|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/fw-deklerk-death-south-africa/2021/11/11/761faa64-8fd4-11e6-a6a3-d50061aa9fae_story.html|date=11 November 2021|first=Glenn|last=Frankel|access-date=11 November 2021|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=11 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111105308/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/fw-deklerk-death-south-africa/2021/11/11/761faa64-8fd4-11e6-a6a3-d50061aa9fae_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was the last surviving State President of South Africa.

After his death, a video message from de Klerk was released from the FW de Klerk Foundation, apologising "without qualification" for the harm caused from apartheid and pleading that the government and all South Africans would embrace the constitution in a balanced manner while also promoting economic growth, guarding the independence and impartiality of the courts, as well as promoting non-racialism and non-discrimination in South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlW0UQFW0Gg|title=FW de Klerk's final message|date=12 November 2021|work=[[FW de Klerk Foundation]]|via=YouTube|access-date=13 November 2021|archive-date=13 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113045945/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlW0UQFW0Gg&feature=youtu.be|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/watch-fw-de-klerk-apologises-without-qualification-for-apartheid-in-last-message-to-people-of-sa-20211111|title=FW de Klerk apologises 'without qualification' for apartheid in 'last message to people of SA'|last=Gerber|first=Jan|website=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|date=11 November 2021|access-date=12 November 2021|archive-date=11 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111173929/https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/watch-fw-de-klerk-apologises-without-qualification-for-apartheid-in-last-message-to-people-of-sa-20211111|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 16 November 2021, President [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] declared a four-day mourning period for de Klerk and ordered for all of the national South African flags to fly at half-mast from 17 to 21 November "as a mark of respect."<ref name=deklerkmemorial>{{cite news|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/ramaphosa-declares-national-mourning-period-for-fw-de-klerk-20211116|title=Ramaphosa declares national mourning period for FW de Klerk|first=Nichole|last=McCain|publisher=News 24|date=16 November 2021|accessdate=16 November 2021}}</ref> Though the de Klerk family determined that he would have a private cremation and funeral, the South African government agreed to hold a state memorial service for de Klerk "in which government leaders, leaders of political parties and representatives of civil society will participate" at a later date.<ref name=deklerkmemorial /> The state memorial service was held in Cape Town on 12 December 2021, and saw Ramaphosa deliver the keynote speech.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-12-12-ramaphosa-stresses-need-for-forgiveness-and-unity-at-state-memorial-service-for-fw-de-klerk/|title=Ramaphosa stresses need for forgiveness and unity at state memorial service for FW de Klerk|first=Steve|last=Kretzmann|work=Daily Maverick|date=12 December 2021|accessdate=20 July 2022}}</ref>