By walking out of the Government of National Unity, FW relinquished the office of Deputy State President and made it easy for his opponents to relegate him to this spectator’s role.  How De Klerk and the NP could have abandoned their seat of power – in the GNU they had the opportunity to influence government decisions – I have never understood. 

The political sun was already setting on De Klerk and the NP. They just didn’t have the appetite to work with others in government to solve national and minority issues – this in spite of their enormous investment in South Africa’s negotiated settlement. They walked away – untimely and unceremoniously – from their own creation. 

The long, hard battle with the Conservative Party (CP) had sapped their energy. The CP protested against the new direction early in the 1980’s and broke away from the NP to fight them tooth and nail. Both these parties disappeared without honour. The NP accepted negotiation and change reluctantly and the CP never accepted it. For this obstinate behaviour they both paid a price.

FW had played his part in writing the 1994 and 1996 Constitutions: Thereafter the mountain to climb proved to be too steep for him. However, internationally there was recognition for the role he had played.