PAC leaders elected unopposed, but some members cry foul

Apart from an early bumpy start with some delegates exchanging blows, the Pan Africanist Congress national congress proceeded smoothly, seeing the entire leadership, led by party stalwart and president Mzwanele Nyhontso, re-elected unopposed over the weekend.

But some members from the camp of former PAC deputy president Lunga Mantashe expressed dissatisfaction with the congress, saying they reject its outcome.

In a statement, the members declared they “unambiguously reject the decisions taken at the Limpopo Congress”.

“Importantly we are not bound by any decisions taken because they are based on an unconstitutional, fraudulent database and general unconstitutional practices.

“Therefore, any outcome of the process of the congress is illegitimate and unconstitutional,” the members said.

‘Intimidation and violence’

The aggrieved members cited the “use of intimidation and violence by the reactionary forces” which they said was a repeat of the PAC congress that took place at the University of Fort Hare during the Fort Hare congress in 2021.

But they did not explain how the intimidation happened nor did they say why they withdrew from election.

The re-election of Nyhontso and the rest of the top seven went ahead, nevertheless. Nyhontso’s return was seen as a show of confidence in his leadership and his determination to bring the party into line with democratic politics.

Some members wanted the party to change to approach politics with open mind and adapt to the country’s political dynamics.

The congress, which was held at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi Hall at Seshego outside Polokwane, was billed as an ideological battle between those who want the PAC to continue with its current path to participate fully in the democratic processes as led by Nyhontso, and those with a desire to restore it to the Robert Sobukwe doctrine of “pure Pan Africanism” as envisaged by Mantashe.

There was another group, a minority, that demanded that the PAC must withdraw from all state-related activities including participating in elections and coalitions and with its members resigning from the civil service.

This was touted as the best route towards reviving the PAC that has been performing poorly since 1994, but the idea was rejected by both the Nyhontso and Mantashe camps.

The entire Mantashe slate withdrew from the contest leaving the Nyhontso’s slate to win uncontested. But Nyhontso had an edge over Mantashe because he had most party structures behind him, while Mantashe’s support was among the student and trade union movement members in the party.

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