Harry Schwartz

[Steve Hayes]

Harry Schwartz dies at 85
SAPA
Published: 2010/02/05 03:15:29 PM

Harry Schwarz, who spent his career in South African opposition politics, died
on Friday at the age of 85.

“Harry Schwarz will be remembered for his signal contribution to the
development of our democracy,” Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said.

“He had strong leadership qualities and could inspire people to great
achievements,” she said.

Schwarz began his career in the United Party (UP) in 1951 when he was elected
to the Johannesburg city council.

He and other liberal reformers, called the “Young Turks” took control of the
party in the then Transvaal in 1974. Among those reformers was David Dalling.

Dalling was a fellow traveller in opposition politics and later became an
African National Congress parliamentary whip.

“I and myself and others who were called the Young Turks walked through deep
waters with him,” said Dalling. “As a result of his leadership we helped to
reshape the political landscape at the time, trying to move it to a more open,
progressive landscape.” Following their takeover of the Transvaal UP, in an
election the same year Schwarz was sent to parliament as an UP MP. This
experience was short-lived as he found himself expelled from the party the
following year after he signed the Mahlabatini Declaration with Inkatha
Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

Schwarz also became one of the founders of the Democratic Party (DP), the
forerunner to today’s DA.

“The DP made a fatal mistake by merging with the Nats. It should have sought
an alliance with black political groups. There’s room for a black party in
which whites play a part [but] at the moment the DA will go nowhere,” Schwarz
said in a 2008 interview with the Financial Mail.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=93012

[news]

Post by Steve Hayes
Harry Schwartz dies at 85
SAPA
Published: 2010/02/05 03:15:29 PM
Harry Schwarz, who spent his career in South African opposition politics, died
on Friday at the age of 85.
“Harry Schwarz will be remembered for his signal contribution to the
development of our democracy,” Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said.
“He had strong leadership qualities and could inspire people to great
achievements,” she said.
Schwarz began his career in the United Party (UP) in 1951 when he was elected
to the Johannesburg city council.
He and other liberal reformers, called the “Young Turks” took control of the
party in the then Transvaal in 1974. Among those reformers was David Dalling.
Dalling was a fellow traveller in opposition politics and later became an
African National Congress parliamentary whip.
“I and myself and others who were called the Young Turks walked through deep
waters with him,” said Dalling. “As a result of his leadership we helped to
reshape the political landscape at the time, trying to move it to a more open,
progressive landscape.” Following their takeover of the Transvaal UP, in an
election the same year Schwarz was sent to parliament as an UP MP. This
experience was short-lived as he found himself expelled from the party the
following year after he signed the Mahlabatini Declaration with Inkatha
Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Schwarz also became one of the founders of the Democratic Party (DP), the
forerunner to today’s DA.
“The DP made a fatal mistake by merging with the Nats. It should have sought
an alliance with black political groups. There’s room for a black party in
which whites play a part [but] at the moment the DA will go nowhere,” Schwarz
said in a 2008 interview with the Financial Mail.
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=93012

Although politics is fuzzy and emotional, economics is concrete to those
with the analytical ability. And IMO Harry Schwartz was a just a mediocre
populist, with his absurd stance on rent control.

Of course he was no worse than most of the government in power at the time
wrt. socialist engineering. And that's all irrelevant now with the present
and to-be-increasing disaster.

== Chris Glur.