His expected endorsement of the coalition next week would be a high-profile statement that could have a significant impact on this year's elections, especially in the Western Cape, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said.
Asked to comment on the report, the NNP's secretary general, Daryl Swanepoel, on Saturday said De Klerk had always been supportive of the agreement since its inception in Cape Town in November 2001.
"It wasn't a merger," said Swanepoel.
"It was a co-operation agreement and it is on-going".
Swanepoel said there were constant discussions between the ANC and the NNP at parliamentary, legislative and local council levels.
While there was no formal announcement about when or where De Klerk might make his public declaration concerning his support for the agreement, Swanepoel said it would probably be at a dinner in Stellenbosch tonight when the NNP pays homage to the former president and Nobel prize winner.
"This is a tribute to him for his contribution to democracy and for (his role in) putting South Africa on its new path," said Swanepoel.
Professor Peter Stewart, from the Department of Development Studies at Unisa, said De Klerk's endorsement, apart from possibly helping to deliver the Western Cape to the coalition, might sway a proportion of voters who were faced with a decision between the NNP and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
"It might also influence some of those who have voted for De Klerk in the past, to vote for the NNP, while younger people might respond positively to a well publicised message of social co-operation," said Stewart.
The endorsement was also likely to boost business confidence and South Africa's image abroad.
However, he said the strengthening of NNP/ANC relations remained at the level of "elite compromise".
"More urgently the ANC, needs to address major problems in its own constituency such as unemployment, equity and Aids," said Stewart. – Sapa.
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