Tony Leon
The pugnacious opposition leader who rebuilt South Africa's Democratic Alliance into a formidable political force after apartheid.
Born 1956 (age 70)·South African politician·Birthday: December 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tony Leon entered politics during the seismic shift of South Africa's transition, taking the helm of the small, liberal Democratic Party just as Nelson Mandela's ANC swept to power. With a sharp, forensic debating style and relentless energy, he refused to let the new democracy become a one-party state. He engineered the merger that created the Democratic Alliance (DA) and, as its first leader, transformed it from a marginal voice into the official opposition, consolidating a diverse base of support. His tenure was defined by holding the ANC to account on corruption and policy, a role that made him a constant, thorny presence in parliament. In a surprising postscript, he later served as an ambassador for the ANC government, a move that underscored his complex relationship with the party he spent his career challenging.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tony was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Tony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Leader of the Official Opposition in South Africa from 1999 to 2007.
- Led the merger that formed the Democratic Alliance (DA) in 2000 and became its first leader.
- Grew the DA's parliamentary representation significantly during his leadership.
- Authored the political memoir 'On the Contrary' detailing his years in opposition.
- Served as South Africa's Ambassador to Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay from 2009 to 2012.
Did You Know?
His father, Ramon Leon, was also a parliamentarian for the Progressive Party.
He is a qualified attorney and worked as a journalist early in his career.
He is known for his distinctive, often confrontational, parliamentary speaking style.
He stepped down as DA leader in 2007 to make way for a younger generation of leadership.
“The role of the opposition is to oppose, to be a critical voice, and to offer an alternative.”
