The party that ruled South Africa during apartheid but which saw its support crash to a record low in the April general election announced Saturday it is to merge with its traditional archrival, the governing African National Congress.
The movement now called the New National Party (NNP) will legally cease to exist in September of next year and will become part of the ANC -- the party of President Thabo Mbeki and his predecessor Nelson Mandela, who served as South Africa's first black head of state from 1994 to 1999 -- in time for the next elections.
NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who is also environment minister in Mbeki's government, said he himself would request membership of the ANC.
But he said "nobody would be forced" to do the same.
"We will explain to people and try to convince people," he said.
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