It is clear Ma'afrika that history has repeated itself, the case of Iletlapa and Isakhatshwa.
On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 11:43 AM, Chuma Andile Mangisa <[email protected]>wrote: > I am eagerly awaiting this book. From face value, it looks ***** > > Chuma > > ------------------------------ > *From:* "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Tue, March 16, 2010 10:24:49 AM > *Subject:* [PAYCO] Extract of PAC chapters in a forthcoming book. > > Extract from a forthcoming book on the history of the liberation movement > and two chapters devoted to the PAC. > Izwe Lethu. > Tham ka Plaatjie > > The PAC’s exile politics, 1980 - 1990 > > By Thami ka Plaatjie > > Introduction > > This chapter will focus on the political activities of the Pan Africanist > Congress of Azania (PAC) in exile during the 1980s. The events in the > 1980s were preceded by the events in the late 1970s and it is in this > regard that reference will be made to the Arusha Conference of 1978 and > its outcome that saw the walkout of a sizeable group of PAC members. Those > who walked out of the Arusha Conference formed themselves into a new > organization called the All African People’s Revolutionary Party (APRP). > They cited ideological differences for such a move. This chapter will seek > to deal with these ideological differences and the effect of the departure > of such a sizeable group from the PAC. > > Soon after the Arusha conference, relations between Potlako Leballo and > David Sibeko, his erstwhile confidante, deteriorated and the result was > the ousting of the former. This chapter will study the effects of the > ousting of Leballo from the leadership of the PAC. Leballo did not take > kindly to being elbowed out of the leadership of the PAC and resorted to > the manipulation of those cadres aligned to him. This resulted in the > murder of Sibeko by those closely aligned to Leballo. Once more the PAC > was thrown into a deep crisis just after it had emerged from the crisis > occasioned by the departure of Leballo. The impact of Sibeko’s death on > the PAC was far-reaching, as it now faced serious isolation, especially > from the international community. Calls for the de-recognition of the PAC > by the OAU and the United Nations from its detractors became louder and > seemingly unrelenting. > > The PAC needed a saviour who could extricate it from unremitting conflicts > and internal contradictions. Nyathi Pokela was brought from South Africa > to bolster the exile leadership of the PAC and effect the much needed > stability. The coming of Nyathi Pokela to save the PAC from apparent > organizational chaos will be evaluated in this chapter as well. The extent > to which Pokela succeeded will also be evaluated. He was faced with > formidable odds and with little experience of the exile situation found > himself thrown into the deep end. The ascension into power of Johnson > Mlambo in 1985, who replaced Pokela after the latter’s sudden death, will > also be analyzed, including the effect it had on the PAC. > > The decision by the PAC to appoint Zephania Mothopeng as the Second > President of the PAC in 1986 was a bold and courageous move in the face of > the changing political atmosphere in South Africa, especially the > prospects of negotiations with the apart5heid regime. The late 1980s saw > the intensification of the military activities of the PAC inside the > country in an attempt to stamp their authority in the country. The > establishment of a visible PAC presence in the country was attained, as > Pokela had wanted. However, the difficulty of understanding the changing > political situation and providing a viable alternative to other > organisations proved to be one the shortcomings of an organization that > was finding favour with vast numbers of oppressed people, especially the > rural poor and urban marginalized. > > > The formation of the APRP (All Africa People’s Revolutionary Party) > > Following the establishment of itself in exile, the PAC faced new > political and ideological influences. Many of its cadres were exposed to > the Chinese brand of Communism after the formation of the PAC’s armed wing > and the invitation to its founder leaders to go to China for military > training in the mid 1960s.1 The first group that went to China included > leaders such as Tempelton Ntantala, Matthew Nkoane, Edwin Makoti, Zebulon > Mokoena and others. Upon their return, they styled a new army along the > ideological outlook of the Chinese and argued for what they called > Scientific Socialism as opposed to what was called African Socialism.2 At > the time of its formation, the PAC under the leadership of Sobukwe > characterized its ideology as that of an Africanist Socialist Democracy. > This was widely equated with African socialism, which was now thought to > be obsolete, especially by those who had found a new ideological affinity > in the Chinese brand of Communism. > > During the Cold War years organizations wished to be known and identified > by their ideological purity or orientation, and Cold War conditions > dictated that such alignments be made. Access to resources and > international connections were linked to strategic ideological partners > and allies. The PAC was no exception, as it desperately needed resources > to prosecute the struggle. > > The PAC convened a broad consultative Conference in Arusha, Tanzania in > 1978. The aim of the conference was to address the debilitating internal > challenges that the organization faced. A section of the membership of the > PAC, with the support mainly from the army and its High Command, argued > for the resolution of the ideological differences within the organization. > They saw the conflict within the PAC as caused, mainly, by ideological > differences. > > The formation of the APRP resulted from the walkout of about 72 PAC > members at the Arusha consultative conference.3 These PAC members had for > some time argued for the adoption of a Maoist position in relation to the > ideology of the PAC. Most had gone to China to study revolutionary > warfare. They had authored two books that they regarded as their > ideological blueprints. These books were the New Road to Revolution and > the Field Marshals Guide. These books were banned by the PAC. > > Ntantala, then a member of the Central committee of the PAC, recorded the > events that were linked to the walkout of his group from the Arusha > conference.4 He argues that Leballo’s determination to deal with his > opponents within the Central Committee of the PAC resulted in his desire > to expel some of his earnest critics. In a long letter that he wrote on > the 4 April 1978, he agonizes over the problems in the PAC: > > For example, he (Leballo) has for a long time been urging the Central > Committee to expel first Makoti, then Jaco, and Gqobose. His reasons have > always been varied and various, but always totally unequal to the proposed > punitive action.5 > > All these individuals were regarded as the intellectuals of the PAC at the > time. Thus, it could be argued that Leballo’s action bordered on an > anti-intellectual crusade. Ntantala further indicates that the differences > he and his group had with Leballo were mainly based on ideological > grounds. “Thus, our political, organizational and military differences > have always stemmed from, and then boil down, to ideological differences > as a matter of fact.”6 > > Ntantala, after a long exposition on the vexing internal challenges that > were visited upon the PAC, comes to one painful conclusion. > > Those leaders of the Party with whom he (Leballo) … has quarreled in the > past four months are faced with the unpalatable prospect of coexisting > with him further and stomaching more of his foul doings. Thus, until the > PAC is in a position to choose for itself a leader worthy of the > responsibility of leadership, especially in the wake of our beloved > Sobukwe’s untimely death, it seems natural and inescapable that a marriage > of convenience be contracted – for the sake of responding to the pressing > current demands of our struggle’s present phase.7 Leballo on the other > hand remained with other influential members of the PAC including David > Siibeko and Vusi Make. > > > The APRP Challenge > > With the breakaway of the APRP, the PAC was effectively divided into two > halves. Many among those who remained in the PAC sympathized with the > APRP. Some, owing to the division in the PAC, took the conscious decision > to become politically inactive. A great deal of them pursued other > personal interests, such as studying. Thus, the PAC lost a considerable > number of cadres who were both experienced in politics and knowledgeable > about the organization. In addition, the disaffected cadres included some > of the best trained members of the PAC and APLA, and their loss to the PAC > was devastating. Many of them were its outspoken ideologues such as > Ntantala. One of the cadres who left with the APRP was Zebulon Mokoena, > who was a survivor of the famous Villa Peri Operation where APLA cadres > were infiltrated into South Africa. > > In the past, the internal contradictions in the PAC would result in the > suspension or expulsion of an individual. In other cases it would be two > to three individuals. Never before had such a large group of people left > the organization at once. What compounded the situation was that most of > these individuals were very influential and held strategic positions in > the organization, especially in the army. They left with a great reservoir > of intellectual property that could have benefited the PAC. > > > Potlako Leballo is deposed > > Leballo’s relations with members of the Central Committee deteriorated > after the Arusha Conference. He was publicly humiliated at an event held > to celebrate the PAC’s 20th anniversary on April 1979. Cadres stood up, > booed and jeered as Leballo prepared to deliver the keynote address. They > shouted ‘for twenty years you have been wrecking this organization’, and > sang a Zulu song, the lyrics of which, literally translated, mean, > ‘growing old in exile for the sake of money’. Leballo was humiliated in > the presence of diplomats, Tanzanian government officials and > representatives of other national liberation movements.8 > > It was this incident, and the resulting attack carried out by Leballo’s > loyalists against those who humiliated him, that resulted in the death of > three PAC members. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > South Africa's premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > For super low premiums, click here http://home.webmail.co.za/dd.pwm > > -- > Sending your posting to [email protected] > > Unsubscribe by sending an email to [email protected] > > You can also visit http://groups.google.com/group/payco > > Visit our website at www.mayihlome.wordpress.com > > -- > Sending your posting to [email protected] > > Unsubscribe by sending an email to [email protected] > > You can also visit http://groups.google.com/group/payco > > Visit our website at www.mayihlome.wordpress.com > -- Sending your posting to [email protected] Unsubscribe by sending an email to [email protected] You can also visit http://groups.google.com/group/payco Visit our website at www.mayihlome.wordpress.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to payco+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
