Greetings, One feels obliged to venture an issue evaded by our best writers and cream of our leaders for the fear of being declared as non-members and branch less. I find this argument of PAC branches disingenuous and founded on a big lie. As far as I am concerned PAC has no fully fledged branches, if any they make less than 20% of the total PAC membership, there's no audit report to refute this fact.
I joined PAC in 1993, from Newcastle Branch, Madadeni. The branch was fully affiliated in the National and Provincial structures. The branch had over 200 members. The branch was active with a fully operational BEC that met weekly and General meeting once monthly and the best organiser ever cde Vusumuzi Dlamini. The branch had a plan of action and had activities that kept members busy. The branch successfully staged 3 Bredell type land invasions which resulted to all persons who were party to the land invasions being allocated permanent sites with electricity, sanitation and running water. This was done without the support of either National or Provincial structures of the party. The branch was able to host national party events, visit of Jeff Masemola, Cde Makwetu during 1994 elections, 2000 elections, Dr Pheko and other events. The point I am driving home is that branches are expected to be there to be visible and work in improving lives in communities they exist in. I have traveled far and wide, to this day I still find it hard to find branches of the Newcastle branch calibre. In the PAC branches are for election purposes, both inter-party elections and parliamentaly & municipal elections. Branches are full of members "members", people who are absolutely ignorant on PAC aims and objectives, engaging them on policy would be an insult to their intelligence. PAC branches don't exist in between Congresses. Communities suffer all kinds of difficulties without any support from PAC branches, infact during this period they are non existent but come elections or congress you'll be told of a branch existing in the area. These fly-by-night branches are created merely for congresses and elections. Mainly they are a brainchild of opportunist who have aspirations of being parliamentarians and councillors nothing to do with party building and changing the plight of the African people. The concept of the branch has to be reviewed and test its relevance. The existence of fly-by-night branches has robbed our party best brains who cannot belong in any branch due to material conditions of the areas they reside on. PAC has not taken these issues into consideration. PAC was banned in 1960 when it had not established itself branches. PAC successes were mainly scored by industrious leaders and organisers of the time. The concept of branches is not tried and tested in the PAC hence leaders like Zeph Mothopeng emphasised cells as the most important element in the growth and activities of the party. Will elaborate further in due course. Kwame Ndebele Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you! -- 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
