formed the Reform Party. The two parties, which shared an anti-apartheid ideology, entered into negotiations to merge, which resulted in the creation of the Progressive Reform Party in July 1975. Eglin was elected leader after Schwarz agreed not to stand for the leadership and was appointed Chairman of the National Executive. He became leader of the Progressive Federal Party in 1977, following a merger with the Committee for United Opposition that had also broken away from the United Party. Eglin was the leader of the official Opposition 1977-79. He was replaced as leader by Frederik van Zyl Slabbert in 1979, when Eglin became Shadow Foreign Minister, a post he would hold until 1986. From 1986-88 Eglin was again party leader, following the resignation of Slabbert. He was official Opposition leader until 1987, when the right-wing Conservative Party became the official opposition party. Zach de Beer took over as leader of the Progressive Federal Party in 1988. The party merged with other groups to become the Democratic Party in 1989 and then the Democratic Alliance in 2000. Eglin continued to serve in the segregated House of Assembly until it was abolished in 1994 and then in the multi-racial National Assembly in the Parliament of South Africa until he retired in 2004. Honours Colin Eglin was made an Officer of the Order of the Disa in 2005. He was awarded the Order of the Baobab, Category II (Silver), in April 2013. Death Eglin died on 29 November 2013 when he had a cardiac arrest at the age of 88. Autobiography He wrote an autobiography titled Crossing the Borders of Power. References Sources The International Who's Who 2006 (Routledge 2006) UCT News, Alumni Magazine, 2007 1925 births 2013 deaths 20th-century South African politicians Politicians from Cape Town White South African anti-apartheid activists South African people of British descent University of Cape Town alumni United Party (South Africa) politicians Progressive Party (South Africa) politicians Progressive Reform Party (South Africa) politicians Progressive Federal Party politicians Democratic Party (South Africa) politicians Democratic Alliance (South Africa) politicians Members of the National Assembly of South Africa South African military personnel of World War II Members of the House of Assembly (South Africa) Order of the Baobab