F.W. de Klerk is unanimously elected the new leader of the Transvaal NP

Date: 6 Mar 1982
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

F.W. de Klerk is unanimously elected the new leader of the Transvaal NP

F.W. de Klerk, then Minister of Minerals and Energy Affairs, was unanimously elected the new leader of the National Party (NP) in the Transvaal. His election came after Dr Andries Treurnicht quit the party. At the time the NP was the ruling party in South Africa as it came to power in 1948. It was F.W. de Klerk who, on 2 February, 1990 announced the release of Nelson Mandela as well as the unbanning of political parties. Subsequently, Mandela was released from prison on 11 February, 1990.

Search events by date

What happened on your birthday?

How we know this

01O’Malley, P. ‘1982’, from Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, [online], available, at www.nelsonmandela.org.za (Accessed: 05 February 2013)
02South African History Online, ‘Frederik Willem de Klerk’, [online], available at www.sahisotry.org.za (Accessed: 05 February 2013)
03South African History Online, ‘Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 years’, [online], available at www.sahisotry.org.za (Accessed: 05 February 2013)

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2013, February 27). F.W. de Klerk is unanimously elected the new leader of the Transvaal NP. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095048

South African History Online (2013) 'F.W. de Klerk is unanimously elected the new leader of the Transvaal NP', South African History Online, 27 February. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095048 (Accessed: 16 August 2026).

South African History Online, F.W. de Klerk is unanimously elected the new leader of the Transvaal NP [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095048, (accessed 16 August 2026).

"F.W. de Klerk is unanimously elected the new leader of the Transvaal NP." South African History Online, 27 Feb. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095048. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "F.W. de Klerk is unanimously elected the new leader of the Transvaal NP." South African History Online. February 27, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095048.