The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) was formed in April 1959 in Soweto as a breakaway from the African National Congress (ANC). Influenced by the Africanist ideals of Kwame Nkrumah, the PAC promotes the return of the land to the indigenous people.
Flag: Green, black and gold with a black map of Africa and a gold star.
Constitution: PAC’s constitution is extracted from Karis & Carter. One of its aims is “to unite and rally the African people into one national front on the basis of African nationalism”.
The PAC was outlawed with the ANC in 1960 after the Sharpeville massacre. Its leaders were exiled or detained for long periods. These included Robert Sobukwe, its founder and leader, who was incarcerated in Robben Island until 1969 and then placed under house arrest until his death in 1978.
Former Azanian Peoples Liberation Army (Apla) commander, Letlapa Mphahlele was re-elected as President for a second term at the party’s national elective congress in 2012.
The party’s support has been steadily eroding since 1994. In 2003, Patricia de Lille then a PAC MP – left to form her own party, the Independent Democrats.
Also, former deputy chairperson of the party, Themba Godi broke away from the party during the 2007 floor-crossing window period to form the African People’s Convention (APC).
In October 2008, former secretary-general of the party, Thami Ka Plaatjie, followed suit when he left the PAC to form the Pan Africanist Movement (PAM).
In the 2011 local government elections, the PAC won 147 589 votes (0.43%). Three years later, the party won just 0.21% support in the 2014 general elections which gave it one seat in parliament.
In 2016 municipal elections, the PAC got 74 607 votes (0.19%).
