Zach de Beer
Zacharias Johannes "Zach" de Beer (born Cape Town, South Africa, 11 October 1928 – 27 May 1999) was a liberal Afrikaner South African politician and businessman. He was the last leader of the liberal Progressive Federal Party and then the co-leader of the new liberal Democratic Party.[2]
Zacharias Johannes de Beer | |
|---|---|
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| South African ambassador to The Netherlands | |
| President | Nelson Mandela |
| Co-leader of the Democratic Party | |
| In office 1989–1994 | |
| Succeeded by | Tony Leon |
| Leader of the Progressive Federal Party | |
| In office 1988–1989 | |
| Preceded by | Colin Eglin |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Zacharias Johannes de Beer 11 October 1928 Woodstock, Cape Town,[1] South Africa |
| Died | 27 May 1999 (aged 70) Cape Town, South Africa |
| Spouse(s) | Maureen Strauss (div.) Mona Schwartz |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Cape Town |
| Profession | Physician |
Educated at Bishop's Diocesan College in Rondebosch, He completed an MBChB degree at the University of Cape Town in 1951.[3] There he was elected president of the Students Representative Council.
Political career
De Beer was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1953 as an MP for the opposition United Party. He was 24 years old at the time, and was the youngest MP ever elected to the parliament. On the party's left wing, he and fellow MPs including Helen Suzman, Colin Eglin, Ray Swart, Harry Lawrence and Dr Jan Steytler resigned from the party after its national congress voted against returning any further land to the black majority for their occupation and use. He and the other liberal MPs formed the new Progressive Party in 1959. Like all the Progressive MPs except Helen Suzman, De Beer lost his seat in the 1961 general election. He joined an advertising agency before moving on to work for the Anglo American PLC/De Beers diamond mining conglomerate.
In the 1977 general election, he was returned to Parliament as an MP for what had become the Progressive Federal Party which had been formed that year through a merger of the Progressive Party and various other liberal groups of MPs.[2] He became the PFP's leader in August 1988[4] and, with Denis Worrall and Wynand Malan was a co-leader of the new Democratic Party when it formed in 1989.
Following the DP's defeat in the first post-apartheid election of 1994, De Beer resigned as party leader.[5] He was appointed South African ambassador to the Netherlands by Nelson Mandela.[2]
De Beer was for many years a director of Anglo American PLC/De Beers. He died of a stroke at his home in Clifton, Cape Town, in 1999.
References
- Allan, Jani (24 July 1988). "Poetry, politics, the PFP and, for Zach de Beer, a decent set of ideals to face the future with". The Sunday Times (South Africa).
- Trewhela, Paul (3 June 1999). "Obituary: Zach de Beer". The Independent.
- "Dr. Zacharias "Zac" Johannes De Beer". South African History Online. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- "Top South African Executive To Run Anti-Apartheid Party". NY Times. 6 August 1988. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- Uys, Stanley (1 June 1999). "Zach de Beer". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
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