The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) is a political party whose presence in the South African political landscape spans just over half a century. The PAC’s origins came about as result of the lack of consensus on the Africanist debate within the African National Congress (ANC). When the Freedom Charter was adopted at Kilptown in 1955, those who championed the Africanist ideological stance felt that this was a betrayal of the struggle. The deepening of political differences broke out into the open in November 1958. At the Transvaal provincial congress of the ANC, ‘Africanist’ members were excluded from the hall. This group of people resolved to break away from the ANC and form a political party. On 6 April 1959 the PAC was formed at Orlando Community Hall in Soweto. Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, an ardent Africanist, who was key to the breakaway, was elected as its founding president.
PAC AIMS & OBJECTIVES
- Rally and Unite the African people under the banner of African Nationalism.
- Overthrow all forms of oppression and their manifestation in all its forms.
- Establish and maintain an Africanistic Socialist Democratic order
- Promote and project African personality into its fullest blossom.
- Create a giant monolithic states of Africa scretching from Cape to Cairo and from Morocco to Malagascar.
OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
“On my life, honour and fortunes I solemnly pledge and swear that I shall always live up to the aims and aspirations of the Pan Africanist Congress, and shall never under any circumstances, divulge any secrets, or plans of the organization, nor betray an Africanist, and that if I dare to divulge any secrets, or plans of the Pan Africanist Congress, or betray a member of the cause, or use the influence of the P.A.C. for my own personal interest or advertisement, I do so at my own risk and peril. I will irrevocably obey and act upon the orders, commands, instructions and direction of the National Executive Committee of the Pan Africanist Congress. I will always serve, suffer and sacrifice anything for the cause for which the P.A.C. stands, and will at all times be ready to go on any mission that I may be called upon to perform. I will make it may duty to foster the cause for which the P.A.C. stands, in any organization that I may become a member of. I accept the leadership of the Pan Africanist Congress”