From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Frederik Willem de Klerk (born 18 March 1936), often known as F. W. de Klerk, was the seventh and last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. de Klerk was also leader of the National Party (which later became the New National Party) from February 1989 to September 1997. de Klerk is best known for engineering the end of apartheid, South Africa's racial segregation policy, and supporting the transformation of ...