Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert, one of South Africa's most prominent white opponents of apartheid who initiated talks between Afrikaner businessmen and the then-banned ANC in 1987, died on Friday.

Tributes poured in from across South Africa's political spectrum, with President Jacob Zuma calling him a "true patriot".

The ruling ANC described his fight for equality as "a voice of reason amidst an ocean of ruthless repression".

The 70-year-old former leader of the Progressive Federal Party (PFP), a liberal opposition party that also included Helen Suzman, angered the ruling National Party (NP) when he arranged for white businessmen to meet ANC leaders in exile, including Zuma.

The PFP was for years a lone voice challenging the white minority government in South Africa's parliament.

The 1987 meeting, organised a year after he resigned from the PFP after becoming frustrated by a lack of change, was a catalyst to dialogue that ultimately helped close the door on apartheid.

The African National Congress praised Van Zyl Slabbert for using his platform in parliament to fight apartheid.

"He was amongst the few white South Africans who resisted apartheid when it was not fashionable or personally rewarding to do so," the statement said.

The Democratic Alliance, a descendent of the PFP, said: "He devoted his life to the development of a just South Africa, and he left our country a far better place than before."

FW de Klerk, the last apartheid-era president who officially started moves to end decades of white rule, said although Van Zyl Slabbert was his political opponent, he was admired for his conviction for political reform.

"He understood at an early stage the need for fundamental reform and was a consistent supporter of liberal values and open political debate," said a statement issued by De Klerk.

Van Zyl Slabbert, who worked as an academic and political analyst after leaving active politics, died at his home in Johannesburg after being treated for a liver related complication.

(REUTERS)