Peter Brown (South African politician)
| Peter Brown | |
|---|---|
| National Chairman of the Liberal Party of South Africa | |
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Assumed office 1958 |
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| Preceded by | Alan Paton |
Peter McKenzie Brown (1924–2004) was a founding member of the Liberal Party of South Africa and succeeded Alan Paton as its national chairman in 1958.
Brown was arrested in March 1960, 10 days after the Sharpeville massacre and was released without charge after 98 days in prison.
Brown was born on 24 December 1924 into a well-known Durban family with a shipping fortune. He attended Michaelhouse and was head boy. He fought in North Africa and Italy during World War II. He later studied agriculture at the University of Cambridge and African languages and Native Law and Administration at the University of Cape Town.
He lived in Pietermaritzburg.
Peter Brown was born in Durban on 24 December 1924 to a wealthy family. While the Peter was seven, his father was killed during a polo game. Despite this, Peter was a keen polo player, later clandestinely playing polo outside the restriction zone of his 60s banning order. He was educated privately at Michaelhouse, where he excelled. He joined the army at 17 and served in Egypt and then Italy. Following World War 2 he began studies in agriculture at Cambridge. He left this university in his first year after being inspired by South African writer Peter Abrahams to return home. Back in South Africa, he studied African languages (Brown became fluent in Zulu) and ‘Native Law and Administration’ at the University of Cape Town. In the 1950s the Local Health Commission in Pietermaritzburg employed Brown. Here he helped start the Edendale YMCA and KwaHlenga Bantu (Edendale Cripple Care).
The Liberal Party (LP) was established in 1953, with Brown playing an important role. He was the founder of the party in Natal, and became LP Natal Provincial Secretary in 1954. The Liberal Party was politically significant, being at that time only the second South African political party to be launched by people of all races (the SACP predating this). In 1956 he became Deputy to the LP National Chairperson, Alan Paton. In his role as National Chairman in 1958, Brown stood for Parliament. Following Paton’s writing of ‘The Long View’ in the liberal journal Contact (reflecting LP and some non-racial thinking), in 1958 Brown wrote the column. He continued to write for the publication until his banning in 1964. In the early hours of 29 March 1960 police raided the homes of leading LP members and arrested 20 people including National Chair Peter Brown. He was detained for 98 days. In 1961 he became organising secretary of the Natal Convention, a multiracial conference held in Pietermaritzburg.
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