By Doreen Mokgolo
The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) is intending to keep its identity and follow its agenda within the Government of National Unity (GNU), despite having only 1% representation.
On Sunday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed PAC leader Mzwanele Nyhontso as the minister for land reform and rural development.
The appointment came after the party invited other political parties to join them in building a GNU, having failed to win enough votes to govern the country independently.
The parties in the GNU include the ANC, DA, IFP, PA, PAC, GOOD Party, FF+, RiseMzansi, UDM, and Al-Jama’ah.
In an interview with Scrolla.Africa, PAC General Secretary Apa Pooe said that the PAC will not be overshadowed by larger parties and will advance the promises made to their voters.
“The appointment of Nyhontsho is an achievement of the goals we set going into the 29 May elections under the theme, ‘Our Land, Our Legacy’. We are going to continue fighting towards changing policies that would allow the availability of land for settlement, business, agriculture, and mining.
“It cannot be that we have the majority of South Africans living in squalor, in informal settlements where even basic services don’t reach them, in 2024,” he said.
Pooe said that while following its mandate, the PAC will work within the collective of the GNU to help achieve its goals.
“We will still involve ourselves in issues of education, water, and sanitation to make sure that there is improvement and our people have better access to services.”
The party currently has one seat in Parliament, having won 0.23% of the vote in the recent elections, an increase from 0.19% in the 2019 elections.
Pictured above: PAC General Secretary Apa Pooe.
Source: Supplied
