Former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk, the last white man ever to rule the country, has died Thursday of mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, at his home near Cape Town.

PAARL, South Africa (CNN) -- Frederik Willem de Klerk -- the last ... but there are big negatives," de Klerk said. When de Klerk was first elected president of South Africa, there was little ...

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry to establish whether previous governments led by his party ...

Mr de Klerk was a key figure in South Africa's transition to democracy, and was succeeded by President Nelson Mandela, whose freedom he helped to secure.