Progressive Party (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
The Progressive Party was a liberal party (deemed "leftist" in the peculiar terminology of the apartheid-era) in South Africa that opposed the ruling National Party's
policies of apartheid, and championed the Rule of Law. For years its only member of parliament
was Helen Suzman
. It was later renamed the Progressive Reform Party
in 1975, and then Progressive Federal Party in 1977.
following the United Party Union Congress held in Bloemfontein
starting on 11 August 1959. The delegates at the Party Congress passed policy resolutions about the political rights the party wished to give to Natives. The Progressives found these resolutions unacceptable.
A Progressive Group of MPs led by Dr Bernard Friedman
, began to organize a new party. The first meeting of the Group took place at the home of Helen Suzman
, MP for the Transvaal
seat of Houghton. This meeting took place on 23–24 August 1959.
The Progressive Party began its founding Congress on 13 November 1959, in Johannesburg
.
Jan Steytler
, a former Cape leader of the United Party, was elected the first leader of the new Party.
At the session of Parliament in 1960, the Progressive Party had twelve MPs. Eleven had been first elected for the United Party and one (a Native Representative Member) defected from the Liberal Party of South Africa. By the end of that Parliament in 1961, the group had been reduced to ten as a result of the abolition of the Native Representative seats at the end of 1960 and the resignation of one MP in January 1961.
At the General Election, held on 18 October 1961, Helen Suzman
was the only Progressive Party candidate to be elected. It would be thirteen years before she again had party colleagues in Parliament. In that time Mrs Suzman was re-elected in 1966 and 1970.
Jan Steytler
continued as party leader until December 1970, but being outside Parliament he was far less visible than the member for Houghton.
Harry Lawrence
, a former Minister and the most senior of the MPs who had left the United Party in 1959, became temporary leader. In February 1971 Colin Eglin
from Cape Town was elected party leader.
At the next General Election, on 24 April 1974, the Progressive Party made a major advance. In addition to Mrs Suzman, re-elected for Houghton, five other members won seats including Colin Eglin. A seventh member of the caucus was elected at a by-election soon after.
, formed the Reform Party
. The Reform Party merged with the Progressive Party to form the Progressive Reform Party
, following Congresses held in Johannesburg on 25 and 26 July 1975.
Subsequently the PRP merged with another breakaway group from the United Party, which was in sharp decline in the mid 1970s, to become the Progressive Federal Party
in 1977.
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
policies of apartheid, and championed the Rule of Law. For years its only member of parliament
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
was Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
. It was later renamed the Progressive Reform Party
Progressive Reform Party
The Progressive Reform Party was a South African party that was formed on 26 July 1975 by the fusion of the Reform Party led by Harry Schwarz and Progressive Party led by Colin Eglin...
in 1975, and then Progressive Federal Party in 1977.
Creation
The Progressive Party was formed by members who had left the United PartyUnited Party (South Africa)
The United Party was South Africa's ruling political party between 1934 and 1948. It was formed by a merger of most of Prime Minister Barry Hertzog's National Party with the rival South African Party of Jan Smuts, plus the remnants of the Unionist Party...
following the United Party Union Congress held in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
starting on 11 August 1959. The delegates at the Party Congress passed policy resolutions about the political rights the party wished to give to Natives. The Progressives found these resolutions unacceptable.
A Progressive Group of MPs led by Dr Bernard Friedman
Bernard Friedman
Dr Bernard Friedman , was a surgeon, politician, author, businessman, and outstanding orator who co-founded the anti-apartheid Progressive Party . He was educated at Pretoria Boys' High School and then he read medicine at Edinburgh University, where he was a gold medalist...
, began to organize a new party. The first meeting of the Group took place at the home of Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
, MP for the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
seat of Houghton. This meeting took place on 23–24 August 1959.
The Progressive Party began its founding Congress on 13 November 1959, in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
Jan Steytler
Jan Steytler
Jan van Aswegen Steytler was a liberal South African politician and the first leader of the Progressive Party . He was born in Burgersdorp, in the then Cape Province now Eastern Cape Province.-Background:...
, a former Cape leader of the United Party, was elected the first leader of the new Party.
At the session of Parliament in 1960, the Progressive Party had twelve MPs. Eleven had been first elected for the United Party and one (a Native Representative Member) defected from the Liberal Party of South Africa. By the end of that Parliament in 1961, the group had been reduced to ten as a result of the abolition of the Native Representative seats at the end of 1960 and the resignation of one MP in January 1961.
At the General Election, held on 18 October 1961, Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
was the only Progressive Party candidate to be elected. It would be thirteen years before she again had party colleagues in Parliament. In that time Mrs Suzman was re-elected in 1966 and 1970.
Jan Steytler
Jan Steytler
Jan van Aswegen Steytler was a liberal South African politician and the first leader of the Progressive Party . He was born in Burgersdorp, in the then Cape Province now Eastern Cape Province.-Background:...
continued as party leader until December 1970, but being outside Parliament he was far less visible than the member for Houghton.
Harry Lawrence
Harry Lawrence
Harry Gordon Lawrence was a South African politician.Harry Lawrence was on the liberal wing of the United Party. He was the most senior of the MPs who broke away and founded the Progressive Party in 1959....
, a former Minister and the most senior of the MPs who had left the United Party in 1959, became temporary leader. In February 1971 Colin Eglin
Colin Eglin
Colin Wells Eglin is a South African politician who is best known for having served as national leader of the opposition from 1977–79 and 1986-87...
from Cape Town was elected party leader.
At the next General Election, on 24 April 1974, the Progressive Party made a major advance. In addition to Mrs Suzman, re-elected for Houghton, five other members won seats including Colin Eglin. A seventh member of the caucus was elected at a by-election soon after.
Merger with Reform Party
A group of reformists broke away from the left wing of the United Party in February 1975. Four MPs led by Harry SchwarzHarry Schwarz
Harry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
, formed the Reform Party
Reform Party (South Africa)
The Reform Party was an anti-apartheid political party that existed for just five months in 1975 and is one of the predecessor parties to the Democratic Alliance...
. The Reform Party merged with the Progressive Party to form the Progressive Reform Party
Progressive Reform Party
The Progressive Reform Party was a South African party that was formed on 26 July 1975 by the fusion of the Reform Party led by Harry Schwarz and Progressive Party led by Colin Eglin...
, following Congresses held in Johannesburg on 25 and 26 July 1975.
Subsequently the PRP merged with another breakaway group from the United Party, which was in sharp decline in the mid 1970s, to become the Progressive Federal Party
Progressive Federal Party
The Progressive Federal Party was a South African political party formed in 1977. It advocated power-sharing in South Africa through a federal constitution, in place of apartheid...
in 1977.
See also
- LiberalismLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
- Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theoryIndividual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
- Liberalism worldwideLiberalism worldwideThis article gives information on liberalism in diverse countries around the world. It is an overview of parties that adhere more or less to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world....
- List of liberal parties
- Liberal democracyLiberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
- Liberalism in South AfricaLiberalism in South AfricaThis article gives an overview of liberal parties in South Africa. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.-Introduction:...