Wynand Malan is a liberal Afrikaner South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n politician.

A lawyer, Malan entered politics in the 1977 South African election

South African general election, 1977

The 1977 South African general election was held on 30 November 1977. The National Party, led by John Vorster won a landslide victory in the House of Assembly. The newly formed Progressive Federal Party, led by Colin Eglin became the official opposition. The New Republic Party, successor to the...

 when he was elected to the South Africa's all white 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....

 as the National Party

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...

 MP for Randburg.

A member of the NP's reform wing, he was critical of P.W. Botha for being too timid in his constitutional reforms in the 1980s and was also critical of the state of emergency

State of emergency

A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...

 implemented by Botha. In the 1987 general election

South African general election, 1987

The 1987 South African general election was held on 6 May 1987. The State of Emergency existing in South Africa at that time cast a cloud over the elections. It was once again won by the National Party under the leadership of P. W...

, he left the NP and was elected as a representative of the new Independent Party

Independent Party (South Africa)

The Independent Party was founded in 1987 by Denis Worrall and Wynand Malan. Its purpose was to protest against the National Party's shift in policy from reform to security. It contested the 1987 election as the Independent Movement and Malan, its founder, won its only seat...

 which he co-founded with Denis Worrall

Denis Worrall

Denis John Worrall is an academic, businessman, and former politician and diplomat. He was South African ambassador to Australia from 1982 to 1984 and then Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1984 to 1987. He resigned his post in order to return to South Africa and form the liberal...

. He subsequently helped form the new liberal opposition Democratic Party

Democratic Party (South Africa)

The Democratic Party was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance . Although the Democratic Party name dates from 1989, the party existed under other labels throughout the Apartheid years, when it was the Parliamentary opposition to the ruling National...

 becoming its co-leader and retaining his parliamentary seat in the 1989 general election

South African general election, 1989

The 1989 South African general election was South Africa's last national race-based parliamentary election. The election was called early to gauge support for the recently elected head of the National Party, Frederik Willem de Klerk and his program of reform, which was to...

 by defeating former Ambassador to Canada Glenn Babb

Glenn Babb

Glenn Robin Ware Babb is a former politician and diplomat for the former apartheid government in South Africa. More recently he has been a businessman and entrepreneur...

 who was running for the NP. Malan remained in the DP's leadership until 1993.

In 1994, Malan was vice-chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was chaired by Archbishiop Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...

.