Progressive Party (South Africa)

Progressive Party
Progressiewe Party (Afrikaans)
LeaderColin Eglin
Founded1959
Dissolved1975
Split fromUnited Party
Merged intoProgressive Reform Party
IdeologyLiberalism
Anti-apartheid
Political positionCentre-left

The Progressive Party (Afrikaans: Progressiewe Party) was a liberal party in South Africa which, during the era of apartheid, was considered the left wing of the all-white parliament. The party represented the legal opposition to apartheid within South Africa's white minority. It opposed the ruling National Party's racial policies, and championed the rule of law.[1] For 13 years, its only member of parliament was Helen Suzman.[2] It was later renamed the Progressive Reform Party in 1975, and then Progressive Federal Party in 1977. The modern Democratic Alliance considers the party to be its earliest predecessor.[3]

The Progressive Party of South Africa is not to be confused with the much earlier Progressive Party of the Cape Colony, which was founded on very different, pro-imperialist policies and which became the "Union Party" in 1908.[4]

  1. ^ "BBC News – Africa – Democratic Party return from the wilderness". news.bbc.co.uk.
  2. ^ In No Uncertain Terms – A South African Memoir, Helen Suzman, Alfred A Knopf, 1993
  3. ^ "Helen Zille on the PFP and the DA – full text « the Wild Frontier". Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)