Cape Town – Former mayor of Cape Town and premier of the Western Cape, Gerald Morkel, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, a family spokesperson said.
Family spokesperson Garin Cavanagh said Morkel, 76, died at his home in Tokai, Cape Town, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
He was first diagnosed with cancer in the abdomen in 2014.
"Gerald passed away peacefully with his close family and friends present between 13:30 and 14:00 this afternoon," Cavanagh told News24.
Funeral arrangements would be announced after the family meets on Wednesday.
After defecting to the National Party (NP) in 1994, he became Western Cape leader of the New National Party (NNP) in 1998.
He soon became Western Cape Premier, but stepped down in 2001 after a failed merger between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and NP.
After formally joining the DA in 2001, Morkel became City of Cape Town Mayor up until 2002 when the party was ousted by an ANC-NNP coalition.
His controversial links to fugitive German billionaire Jurgen Harksen, who faced charges of tax evasion and fraud in Germany totalling R1bn, forced him to step down as DA Western Cape provincial leader in 2002.
He continued serving as a member of the City Council until 2011.
He leaves behind his wife, four children and eight grandchildren.
