This Day in History: 3 September 1979
On 3 September 1979, Dr. Frederik van Zyl Slabbert was elected as the leader of the opposition party, the Progressive Federal Party (PFP). He took over from Colin Wells Eglin, who was elected the party's National Chairman. Eglin replaced van Zyl Slabbert when he resigned in 1986.
Born in Pretoria to an Afrikaner family, van Zyl Slabbert grew up in Pietersburg (now known as Polokwane). Van Zyl Slabbert matriculated from the Pietersburg Afrikaans High School in 1958. His political career blossomed during his academic studies at the University of Stellenbosch, leading him to reject Apartheid and to stand for a seat on Stellenbosch University's Students' Representative Council (SRC). Unfortunately he lost the election as he was considered to be too liberal. Van Zyl Slabbert served as the leader of the PFP for 12 years. He died on 14 May 2010 at his home in Johannesburg after battling with a liver-related complication.