Vause Raw

Wyatt Vause Raw (21 September 1921 – 13 March 2001) was a conservative opposition South African politician of the Apartheid era. He was a prominent member of the United Party from the 1940s to the late 1970s, and the leader of the succeeding New Republic Party (NRP).

He joined his father in a farming and trading venture from 1946 to 1950, served as secretary to the Pretoria District Farmers' Union, and was appointed a director of the Waterberg Farmers' Co-operative. In 1954, he became sales manager of a textile knitting mill, and from 1956 to 1981 ran his own textile and clothing machinery agency.

Helen Suzman characterised Raw as a "very right-wing United Party member", and identified him as one of the reasons she left the party. Raw discredited the party in a string of by-election defeats from 1977 to 1980, by making "extravagant" claims of support and predicting victory in areas where the party had no prospects. He nevertheless continued in his capacity as leader until 1984.

He served for many years in the whites-only parliament as the Member of Parliament for Durban's Point constituency. In 1985, he was awarded the Decoration for Meritorious Services; he was the first serving opposition MP to receive it. He was also a lifelong honorary colonel of 38 Field Workshop Regiment. He retired from Parliament just before the 1987 general election. Twice married, he was the father of seven children.