The Pan Africanist Congress is unlikely to unseat its current president, Stanley Mogoba, at its three-yearly national congress in Umtata next month, party insiders say.
This is despite internal pressure for a leadership change. The lacklustre style of Methodist cleric Mogoba, who has presided over the party since 1996, is seen by some as a factor in the party’s poor election showings. It polled just over 1% of the vote in 1999.
Costa Gazi, the PAC’s secretary for health, said this week it was now time for a ”new, energetic leadership”.
The president of the PAC Youth Congress, Cameron Tabane, conceded that the youth would prefer to see the party’s fiery secretary general, Thami ka Plaatjie, at the helm. Ka Plaatjie and deputy president Motsoko Pheko are seen as the only possible contenders for Mogoba’s job.
However, Tabane insisted there were no plans to remove Mogoba. ”This would be unwise with the 2004 elections upcoming,” he said. ”People are comfortable with Mogoba. What’s important now is to position the party.”
Installing Ka Plaatjie as president at this stage would ”put too much pressure on him and destroy him for future leadership roles”.
Tabane said the youth would prefer to install Ka Plaatjie as deputy president, with the possibility that he would take the reins in three years’ time.
The Pan Africanist Women’s League has argued for a woman to be given at least one of the top six positions.