Pan Africanist Congress bigwigs this week decided to limit the number of candidates for its presidency to forestall perceptions of division within the party — but neglected to inform potential candidates, including Stanley Mogoba, the president.
At a caucus in Johannesburg this week representatives of the four candidates for president discussed ways to unify the party. They decided that limiting the number of candidates for leadership posts would help refute claims that the party is divided.
The group decided that Mogoba and secretary general Thami ka Plaatjie would be asked to step down as candidates at this week’s congress at the University of the Transkei. That would leave deputy president Motsoko Pheko and Limpopo chairperson Maxwell Nemadzivhanani in the race.
Japhi Ligege, who is leading Nemadzivhanani’s campaign, said the candidates’ representatives caucused to change perspectives that the PAC was divided.
Abraham Napo, who represented Mogoba, said the group would advise his candidate to step down as president but retain his parliamentary position until the 2004 elections. ”He will also be part of the presidential council that will be established after this week’s congress.”
The council will advise the national executive committee.
When the Mail & Guardian spoke to Mogoba after the meeting, he said he wasn’t aware of the talks, but later said he had queried the claims. He said nothing concrete had occurred and that the matter would be concluded at the congress.
Ka Plaatjie denied that any negotiations had taken place on his behalf.
He said that asking people to step down as candidates showed weakness and desperation on the part of the other candidates. ”This would deny the people their democratic right to put forward whoever they want as president of the PAC.”
Nemadzivhanani’s campaigners had earlier tried to align themselves with Ka Plaatjie’s group, but are now talking to Pheko’s representative to see whether the two will back each other at the congress.
Mgwebi Snail, the party’s secretary for education who faces a disciplinary hearing this week for ”disparaging statements … made in the press in violation of sections of the disciplinary code”, said the PAC needs Ka Plaatjie as its leader.
”If you look back to the history of the PAC, it was the younger members of the African National Congress that took over the leadership in 1947 from the old guard. And it is young people again who broke away from the ANC and formed the PAC. [Robert] Sobukwe was 35 when he became leader of the PAC. Thami ka Plaatjie is also 35. They are both academics and it will be Thami ka Plaatjie who takes this party to greater heights.”
Kodisang Bokaba, president of the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania, the party’s student wing, said the working relationship among the top leaders could make or break the party. ”Whoever gets elected in the top six positions will have to be able to work together coherently as a unit.”
He said the party is badly managed. ”You look at any other party before a congress and they will have a discussion document that will list issues of importance … I haven’t received a discussion document.”
The PAC hopes to form an alliance with the United Democratic Movement for the 2004 elections, said Costa Gazi, secretary of health. He said the party is also considering joining forces with the Azanian People’s Organisation and Socialist Party of Azania to create a strong opposition to the ANC.
The theme for the PAC’s eighth congress this weekend is ”PAC for poverty eradication and food security”.
The party will call for the implementation of a free and compulsory education system until the first tertiary qualification and for the nationalisation of land without compensation.