Progressive Party (South Africa)
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Progressive Party
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| Leader | Colin Eglin |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Dissolved | 1975 (merged with Reform Party) |
| Preceded by | United Party |
| Merged into | Progressive Reform Party |
| Ideology |
Liberalism Anti-apartheid |
The Progressive Party (Afrikaans: Progressiewe 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 13 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. The modern Democratic Alliance name the party as its earliest predecessor.
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.
The Progressive Party was formed by members who had left the United Party 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.
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