Editing Progressive Federal Party (section)

{{Short description|1977–1989 anti-apartheid party in South Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Progressive Federal Party
| abbreviation = PFP
| logo = Logo of the Progressive Federal Party.svg
| logo_size = 150px
| colorcode = {{party color|Progressive Federal Party}}
| leader = [[#Notable members|''See below'']]
| president = 
| general_secretary = 
| first_secretary = 
| secretary_general = 
| presidium = 
| secretary = 
| spokesperson = 
| ideology = [[Liberalism]] ([[Liberalism in South Africa|South African]])<br />[[Internal resistance to South African apartheid|Anti-apartheid]] <br /> [[Federalism in South Africa|Federalism]]
| position = [[Centre-left politics|Centre-left]]
| headquarters = 
| head_office = 
| international = 
| country = South Africa
| native_name = {{Native name|af|Progressiewe Federale Party}}
| native_name_lang = Afrikaans
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| founded = 1977     <!-- {{start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| legalised = <!-- or |legalized= -->
| dissolved = 1989   <!-- {{end date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| merger = 
| split = 
| predecessor = [[Progressive Reform Party (South Africa)|Progressive Reform Party]]
| merged = [[Democratic Party (South Africa)|Democratic Party]]
| successor = 
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| student_wing = 
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}}
{{Politics of South Africa}}
The '''Progressive Federal Party''' ('''PFP''') ({{langx|af|Progressiewe Federale Party}}) was a South African [[political party]] formed in 1977 through merger of the Progressive and Reform parties, eventually changing its name to the Progressive Federal Party. For its duration, it was the main parliamentary opposition to apartheid, instead advocating [[power-sharing]] in [[South Africa]] through a [[Federation|federal]] constitution. From the 1977 election until 1987 it was the official opposition of the country.

Its first leader was [[Colin Eglin]], who was succeeded by [[Frederik van Zyl Slabbert]] and then [[Zach de Beer]]. Another prominent member was [[Harry Schwarz]] who had led the Reform Party and was the chairman of the Federal Executive (1976–79), finance spokesman (1975–91) and defence spokesman (1975–84). He was regarded as the PFP's greatest parliamentary performer.<ref>{{cite book|last=Leon|first=Tony|year=2009|title=On the Contrary: Leading the Opposition in the New South Africa|publisher=Jonathan Ball Publishers|isbn=978-1-86842-259-3}}</ref> Its best known parliamentarian was however [[Helen Suzman]], who was for many years the only member of the [[White South African|white]]s-only [[House of Assembly (South Africa)|House of Assembly]] to speak out unequivocally against the [[apartheid]] regime.