This changed in 1959 – 1960 . The Progressive Party , formed in 1959 , occupied the political ground that the Liberal Party had occupied up till then . In 1960 the Sharpeville massacre and consequent State of Emergency , during which several Liberal party members were detained , changed the outlook of the party . Another factor was the use of simultaneous translation equipment at party congresses , which enabled black rural members to speak uninhibitedly for the first time
Sharpeville massacre
Sharpeville massacre
Liberal Party of South Africa