PAC Finds Rare Calm as Mzwanele Nyhontso Is Re-Elected Unopposed

A quiet congress in a party known for turmoil

In a political landscape where drama often overshadows substance, the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) has done something almost unthinkable by its own recent standards: it held a calm, orderly national congress.

At the weekend gathering in Gqeberha, the party re-elected Mzwanele Nyhontso as its president, unopposed. No court threats dominating the headlines, no parallel structures forming outside the venue, and no rival leadership claims by the time delegates went home.

For a party long battered by internal wars, this alone marks a turning point.

Why Nyhontso’s re-election matters

Nyhontso, who also serves as minister of rural development and land reform in the Government of National Unity (GNU), is widely credited within PAC circles for restoring a measure of stability to a party that has struggled to stay intact since its unbanning in 1990.

His unchallenged return to the top seat signals what many members are calling a “reset moment”, a chance to move forward without the endless factional battles that hollowed out the organisation over decades.

While a handful of disgruntled members reportedly raised concerns about the outcome, tensions were significantly lower than in previous congresses. Importantly, those unhappy with the results are unlikely to pursue court action, a familiar PAC tradition, largely because they did not contest most leadership positions.

From liberation powerhouse to political sidelines

The moment also invites reflection on how far the PAC has travelled from its heyday.

Founded by Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, the PAC was once a formidable force in South African politics. In the 1994 democratic elections, it secured six MPs and boasted heavyweight leaders such as Clarence Makwetu, Patricia de Lille, Veronica Sobukwe, Joe Mkhwanazi and Themba Hlatshwayo.

Over the years, figures like Stanley Mogoba, Motsoko Pheko, Maxwell Nemadzivhanani and Themba Godi who later broke away to form the African People’s Convention passed through its ranks. Regional leaders such as Khoisan X, Thami ka Plaatjie and Zingisa Mkabile also shaped its grassroots presence.

But with each leadership dispute came another split, another court case, and another erosion of public trust.

A long road through factional battles

Nyhontso’s leadership itself was born in conflict. Elected in December 2018, he went on to defeat long-time rival Narius Moloto at a delayed congress in August 2019. What followed was a familiar pattern: legal challenges, disputed outcomes and competing claims to legitimacy.

Moloto ultimately lost multiple court applications, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa formally recognised Nyhontso as PAC leader in 2019, reaffirming that position again in 2021.

This weekend’s unopposed victory stands in sharp contrast to that turbulent period and may explain why some party veterans describe it as “historic,” even if the PAC’s national influence remains limited.

Criticism, compromise and Sobukwe’s legacy

Nyhontso has not escaped criticism. Some within the PAC accuse him of drifting away from Sobukwe’s ideological purity by cooperating with the ANC and joining the GNU.

But political analyst Hlumelo Xaba, writing online, has offered a more nuanced view. Rather than blaming the leadership for ideological betrayal, Xaba argues that changing political realities demand pragmatic choices and suggests Sobukwe himself may have adapted under similar conditions.

That argument has resonated with some supporters who believe survival, not symbolism, is now the PAC’s biggest challenge.

A fragile unity, but a real one

Social media reaction from PAC supporters has been cautiously optimistic. Many welcomed the absence of chaos, saying unity even imperfect unity is preferable to another decade of self-destruction.

Whether this calm marks a genuine revival or simply a pause in long-running tensions remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that for the first time in many years, the PAC has chosen continuity over conflict.

In a party whose history has too often been written in court papers and breakaway press statements, that alone feels like a small but meaningful victory.

{Source: The Citizen}

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