History of The Democratic Alliance (South Africa) - Leaders

Leaders

Leaders of the Democratic Alliance, and its predecessor parties:

Entered office Left office Party name
1 Jan Steytler 1 November 1959 December 1970 Progressive Party
2 Harry Lawrence2 December 1970 February 1971
3 Harry Schwarz 3 February 1975 July 1975 Reform Party
3 Colin Eglin4 February 1971 July 1975
July 1975 1977 Progressive Reform Party
1977 1979 Progressive Federal Party
4 Frederik van Zyl Slabbert 1979 1986
5 Colin Eglin 1986 1988
6 Zach de Beer 1988 1989
7,8 Zach de Beer, Denis Worrall and Wynand Malan5 1989 1994 Democratic Party
9 Tony Leon 1994 2000
2000 May 2007 Democratic Alliance
10 Helen Zille6 May 2007 present
  • 1 Between 1961 and 1970, Steytler served as party leader from outside Parliament, where Helen Suzman was the party's sole representative.
  • 2 Interim leader.
  • 3 Schwarz was leader of the Reform Party that broke away from the United Party and which merged with the Progressive Party.
  • 4 First Progressive Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (from 1977).
  • 5 Co-leaders, following the formation of the Democratic Party in 1989.
  • 6 Zille, like Steytler and Lawrence, serves as leader from outside of Parliament, where she is represented by a separate Parliamentary Leader - first Sandra Botha, and then later Athol Trollip.

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