Liberalism in South Africa

Part of a series on
Liberalism
Schools History of liberalism Contributions to liberal theory
Ideas Conservative liberalism Cultural liberalism Democratic capitalism Democratic education Economic liberalism Egalitarianism Free trade Harm principle Individualism Laissez-faire Liberal democracy Liberal neutrality Market economy Negative / positive liberty Open society Permissive society Political freedom Popular sovereignty Rights (individual) Secularism Separation of church and state
Variants Classical Conservative Democratic Green Liberal feminism Liberal internationalism Libertarianism National Neoliberalism Ordoliberalism Paleoliberalism Radical centrism Radicalism Religious Secular Social Socialist
People Frédéric Bastiat Jeremy Bentham Isaiah Berlin Anders Chydenius Joel Feinberg Adam Ferguson Milton Friedman David Lloyd George William Ewart Gladstone Thomas Hill Green Václav Havel Friedrich Hayek Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse Wilhelm von Humboldt David Hume Thomas Jefferson Immanuel Kant Adamantios Korais Wilfrid Laurier Thomas Babington Macaulay Thomas Robert Malthus Giuseppe Mazzini John Stuart Mill Ludwig von Mises Montesquieu Robert Nozick Thomas Paine Lester B. Pearson Ayn Rand John Rawls Franklin D. Roosevelt Murray Rothbard Adam Smith Alexis de Tocqueville Pierre Trudeau Mary Wollstonecraft Helen Zille
Organizations Liberal parties Africa Liberal Network (ALN) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDEP) Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AAFD) Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) European Democratic Party (EDP) European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) Liberal International Liberal Network for Latin America (RELIAL)
Liberalism portal Politics portal

This 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

Liberalism was not organized in South Africa until 1953, although there was some liberal tradition in parties present at the time. This changed in 1953 with the formation of the anti-Apartheid Liberal Party of South Africa, which was multi-racial. A second liberal tradition started in 1959 with the forming of the Progressive Party.

Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith

On 4 January 1974, Harry Schwarz the Transvaal leader of the United Party met with Mangosuthu Buthelezi and signed a five-point plan for racial peace in South Africa, which came to be known as the Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith. Its purpose was to provide a blueprint for the government of South Africa by consent and racial peace in a multi-racial society, stressing opportunity for all, consultation, the federal concept, and a Bill of Rights. It also affirmed that political change must take place though non-violent means, at a time when neither the National Party nor the African National Congress were looking to peaceful solutions or dialogue. The declaration enshrined the principles of peaceful transition of power and equality for all, the first of such agreements by acknowledged black and white political leaders in South Africa and was heralded by many as a breakthrough in race relations in South Africa. Liberal figures and others such as Alan Paton praised the declaration. The declaration drew much media interest both inside and outside South Africa. Schwarz leader of the liberal 'Young Turks' in the UP, would be expelled with other liberals from the party the following year.

The timeline

Liberal Party of South Africa

• 1953: The Liberal Party of South Africa is formed by Alan Paton
• 1968: The SALP decides to disband rather than obey legislation outlawing multiracial political parties. The decision was also influenced by the fact that the leadership of the SALP had been decimated by banning orders and other restrictive measures, and by the fact that many stalwarts had been forced into exile.

From Progressive Party to Democratic Alliance

Progressives or Democrats

• 1959: Liberal members of the conservative United Party seceded and formed the liberal Progressive Party. The parliamentary party is led by Helen Suzman
• 1975: The party merged with the Reform Party led by Harry Schwarz, a faction of the United Party, and became the Progressive Reform Party
• 1977: After the dissolution of the United Party, former members merged into the PRP, which is renamed the Progressive Federal Party
• 1987: National Party MP Wynand Malan quits the governing party to protest PW Botha's policies. South African Ambassador to the UK Denis Worrall quits his post in order to return to South Africa and fight apartheid. The two form and lead the liberal Independent Party.
• 1988: The PFP merged with the newly founded National Democratic Movement and the Independent Party into the Democratic Party
• 2000: The DP merged with the conservative New National Party into an alliance, the Democratic Alliance.
• 2001: The NNP left the alliance and the DP continues as the present-day Democratic Alliance

Liberal leaders

• Liberal Party of South Africa: Alan Paton
• United Party: Harry Schwarz
• Progressive Party Jan Steytler, Colin Eglin, Bernard Friedman
• Progressive Party in Parliament Helen Suzman
• Reform Party Harry Schwarz
• Progressive Reform and Progressive Federal Party: Colin Eglin, Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, Harry Schwarz, Zach de Beer
• Independent Party: Denis Worrall, Wynand Malan
• Democratic Party: Denis Worrall, Harry Schwarz Wynand Malan, Zach de Beer, Tony Leon
• Democratic Alliance: Tony Leon, Helen Zille
• South African Council of Churches (SACC) - Beyers Naudé

Liberal thinkers

In the Contributions to liberal theory the following South African thinkers are included:

• Alan Paton (1903–1988)
• Donald Barkly Molteno (1908–1972)
• Edgar Brookes (1897–1979)

Liberal organisations

• Helen Suzman Foundation
• Centre for Development and Enterprise
• South African Institute of Race Relations
• Black Sash

Liberal journalists

• Laurence Owen Vine Gandar ^[1] (1915-1998). Editor of the liberal daily the Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg from 1957 to 1969.
• Barry Streek^[2] (1948–2006)

References

See also

• History of South Africa
• Politics of South Africa
• List of political parties in South Africa

Politics of South Africa By province Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North West Northern Cape Western Cape Political movements Ideologies African nationalism Afrikaner nationalism Anarchism Anti-war Black consciousness Environmentalism Federalism Liberalism Libertarianism Pan-Africanism Trotskyism Political parties see South Africa political parties Other political organisations AfriForum Afrikanerbond Boerestaat Party CONTRALESA COSAS DLF DSM Earthlife Africa Keep Left Khanya College Koeberg Alert LGEP Occupy Oranjewerkers Orde Boerevolk PAVN SALSA SASCO South African Wine Initiative VAB WIVL ZACF Trade unions and Social movements see South Africa trade unions Equal Education Mandela Park Backyarders PASSOP Poor People's Alliance Abahlali baseMjondolo LPM Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign SJC TAC UPM Law see South African law Terrorism AWB Kommandokorps PAGAD Warriors of the Boer Nation Political culture African Renaissance Alternative media Azania Corruption (Don't) touch me on my studio Freedom Charter Proudly South African Rainbow nation Renaming Tenderpreneurs Toyi-toyi Ubuntu UnFreedom Day Xenophobia Slogans "Amandla Ngawethu!" "No Land! No House! No Vote!" Books and periodicals African Communist Amandla ANC Today Biko I Write What I Like Long Walk to Freedom Molotov Cocktail No Land! No House! No Vote! Other Blikkiesdorp Corrective rape Crime Elections HIV/AIDS Labour brokering Land occupations Legacies of apartheid Lindela Marikana massacre Nkandlagate Political assassinations Political repression Protests Sexual violence Shack fires Third Force Category

Political history of South Africa Defunct polities Kingdom of Mapungubwe (c. 1075–c. 1220) Dutch Cape Colony (1652–1806) Mthethwa Paramountcy (c. 1780–1817) Ndwandwe Kingdom (c. 1780–1819) Cape Colony (1795–1910) Zulu Kingdom (1816–1897) Natalia Republic (1839–1843) Natal Colony (1843–1910) Orange Free State (1854–1902) South African Republic (1856–1902) Griqualand East (1861–1879) Griqualand West (1870–1873) Goshen (1882–1883) Stellaland (1882–1885) Nieuwe Republiek (1884–1888) Upingtonia (1885–1887) Klein Vrystaat (1886–1891) Orange River Colony (1902–1910) Transvaal Colony (1902–1910) Union of South Africa (1910–1961) Transkei (1976–1994) Bophuthatswana (1977–1994) Venda (1979–1994) Ciskei (1981–1994) Events 1652–1815 Dutch settlement French Huguenot settlement Khoikhoi–Dutch Wars Xhosa Wars Battle of Muizenberg Battle of Blaauwberg Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 1815–1910 Mfecane 1820 Settlers Great Trek Boer Republics Mineral Revolution Witwatersrand Gold Rush South African Wars South Africa Act 1909 1910–1948 Maritz Rebellion Rand Rebellion Great Depression 1946 African Mine Workers' Union strike Bantustans Apartheid era 1948 general election Apartheid legislation Internal resistance Coloured-vote constitutional crisis Defiance Campaign Congress of the People Freedom Charter Sharpeville massacre 1960 republic referendum International isolation Academic boycott Disinvestment Oil embargo Sporting boycott Rivonia Trial Tar Baby Option Durban Moment Border War Israeli alliance Israel–South Africa Agreement Soweto Uprising Weapons of mass destruction Project Coast Constructive engagement Church Street bombing 1983 constitutional reform referendum Third Force CODESA 1992 apartheid referendum Saint James Church massacre Bophuthatswana conflict Shell House massacre Post-apartheid 1994 general election Government of National Unity Reconstruction and Development Programme Truth and Reconciliation Commission Arms Deal African Renaissance Xenophobia Marikana miners' strike 2012 Western Cape farm workers' strike Nkandlagate 2014 platinum strike Political culture Afrikaner Calvinism Baasskap Boerehaat Day of the Vow Greater South Africa Honorary whites Rooi gevaar Slavery Swart gevaar Uitlander Volkstaat Defunct organisations Civic and political organisations Afrikaner Bond Afrikaner Broederbond Afrikaner Party AITUP APO AVF BPC Black Sash CDA CTEG COD Congress Alliance COSG CP Dominion Party DP (1973–1977) DP (1989–2000) DPP ECC FA FD Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners GNP Het Volk HNP ID IP ISL Jeugkrag Johannesburg Reform Committee Labour Party (1910–1958) Labour Party (1969–1994) Liberal Party NA NCP NIC NLP NNP NP NPP NRP NUSAS PFP Progressive Party (Cape Colony) Progressive Party PRP Radio Freedom Reform Party SABP SADECO SAIC SASO SAYCO SAYRCO South African Party (Cape Colony) South African Party (1911–1934) South African Party (1977–1980) TNIP Torch Commando UFP United Party Unionist Party Volksparty Workers Party WOSA Trade unions and social movements APF BCM FOSATU ICU MUSA NEUM PAWE SAAPAWU UDF Umkosi Wezintaba Paramilitary and terrorist organisations APLA ARM BBB Boeremag Greyshirts MK Ossewabrandwag Orde van die Dood SANF Histories of political parties African National Congress Democratic Alliance Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Category