Ex-wife of former South African President F.W. de Klerk found murdered
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Your support makes all the difference.Marike de Klerk, the exwife of apartheid South Africa's last president, F.W. de Klerk, died Tuesday at her home outside Cape Town. An autopsy revealed that she had been strangled to death.
De Klerk's body was discovered at her Cape Town home Tuesday afternoon, about 30 hours after coroners estimated she had died.
The autopsy also revealed that she had a shallow stab wound in her back, although a police spokesman said that this was not the cause of death. There were no immediate arrests and police did not have any suspects.
De Klerk's body was found when her hairdresser became concerned that she had missed an appointment and went to her apartment to look for her. When de Klerk did not answer her door, the hairdresser summoned neighborhood security guards who found the body.
Nothing was missing from de Klerk's house and the motive for her killing was unknown, Holtzhauzen said.
De Klerk and F.W. de Klerk divorced in 1998 after 39 years of marriage after he announced he was in love with Elita Giorgiades, the former wife of Greek shipping magnate Tony Giorgiades.
As her husband rose through the ranks of the ruling National Party during apartheid, de Klerk too was politically active, eventually leading the party's women's organization.
F.W. de Klerk gave up power to Nelson Mandela after South Africa's first allrace elections in 1994.
President Thabo Mbeki expressed his condolences Tuesday in a statement and described de Klerk as a "strong, charming and dignified woman."
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