Reform Party (South Africa)

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The Reform Party was a political party that existed for just five months in 1975. The Reform Party was created on February 11 by a group of four MPs who left the United Party under the guidance of Harry Schwarz, who became the party's leader. The Party had four MP's, a senator and ten members of the Transvaal Provincial Council. This made it the official opposition in the Transvaal Provincial Council.

At the Reform Party's first meeting it mapped out the party's objectives. Among the main ones were:

1. The Reform Party believes in equality of opportunity and must create the conditions in which equality of opportunity can be exercised.

2. The Reform Party stands for the removal of discrimination based on colour. It must get together with the people of other races to evolve a way in which discrimination will be removed.

The party merged with the Progressive Party on 25 July 1975 to form the Progressive Reform Party with Colin Eglin as the new leader. This proved to realign the opposition in South Africa, as the PRP became the official opposition party. In 1977 another group of United Party members left the Party to form the Committee for a United Opposition, which then joined the Progressive Reform Party to form the Progressive Federal Party.

v • d • e Liberalism in South Africa Apartheid-era political parties and groups South African Liberal Party · Progressive Party (South Africa) · Democratic Party (South Africa)  · Progressive Federal Party · Reform Party · Progressive Reform Party  · Independent Party (South Africa) Post-Apartheid political parties and groups Democratic Alliance (South Africa)  · South African Institute of Race Relations  · Black Sash  · Helen Suzman Foundation  · Centre for Development and Enterprise People before and during the apartheid era Alan Paton  · Colin Eglin  · Harry Schwarz  · Helen Suzman  · Zach de Beer  · Denis Worrall  · Wynand Malan  · Frederik van Zyl Slabbert  · Jan Steytler Post-apartheid people Tony Leon · Helen Zille Related articles Liberalism in South Africa