17 November 1973
Location: back to this day in history search archive The Democratic Party officially came into being at a one day conference held in Johannesburg. The conference, attended by about 200 delegates from the four provinces, unanimously elected Theo Gerdener as leader of the party. Source: Kalley, J.A.; Schoeman, E. & Andor, L.E.(eds)(1999). Southern African Political History: a chronology of key events from independence to mid-1997, Wesport: Greenwood. http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/ramaphosa-cm.htm