A new mood of unity was forged this week when the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress met to halt violence between their members. Fighting between the ANC and PAC in Vosloorus, on the East Rand, has left five dead. The ANC/Azapo conflict in Kroonstad, in the Free State – which left one dead and several injured- has led to those two groups preparing a joint statement on violence which they hope to release soon. The meeting between the ANC and PAC, at the South African Council of Churches’ chambers in Johannesburg, was attended by grassroots members of both organisations.
Delegates declined to speak to the press on the outcome of the meeting. There are also moves to include the PAC in the forthcoming joint statement from Azapo and the ANC. It is hoped that successful completion of the statement would herald the implementation of the Azapo call for a consultative meeting of resistance organisations. This would embrace the negotiations question and inter-organisational violence.
The ANC/Azapo move follows the urgent weekend meeting on the Kroonstad violence between recuperating ANC deputy” president Nelson Mandela and Azapo central committee member Muntu Myeza. It is also a consequence of the joint ANC-Azapo rally in Maokeng, Kroonstad, and an historic peace pact between the Kroonstad branches of the ANC and Azapo. ANC internal chairman Walter Sisulu and Azapo secretary general Pandelani Nepholodwhe spoke at the rally.
Last week in Kroonstad an Azapo supporter, Monyani Lekitlane, was allegedly killed by ANC supporters. Another Azapo member, Lebona Tsokotsi, was abducted. In Vosloorus, Azanian National Youth Unity member John Rantho, was last week killed when he was doused with petrol and set alight in violence between members of the Pan African Students Congress and Vosloorus Students Congress.
On Saturday morning, three people died when the homes of Vosloorus Crisis Committee chairman, Ali Maziya, and SACC employee, Thusi Motsopi, were attacked with an AK- 47 and a hand grenade. The Kroonstad agreement includes: A joint condemnation of the necklace method; an end to public attacks on rival organisations; an end to the hijacking of meetings. Boycotts or stayaways would nor be called without prior consultation between the two organisations; a resolve that all students return to school.
The ANC also condemned the Maokeng Democratic Crisis committee as a band of ”opportunists” who raised the ANC flag while they terrorised other, legitimate organisations.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
