Azanian People's Organisation
Azanian People's Organisation AZAPO | ||
---|---|---|
National Assembly seats 0 / 400 | ||
Party flag | ||
Website | ||
www | ||
The Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO) is a South African liberation movement and political party. The organisation's two student wings are the Azanian Students' Movement (AZASM) for high school learners and the other being for university level students called the Azanian Students' Convention (AZASCO), its women's wing is Imbeleko Women's Organisation, simply known as IMBELEKO. Its inspiration is drawn from the
History
AZAPO was formed out of the prominent black consciousness organisations namely, Black People's Convention (BPC), the South African Students' Organisation (SASO) and the Black Community Programmes (BCP). These were three of the 17 black consciousness organisations that were banned on Wednesday, 19 October 1977 for their role in the 16 June 1976 Soweto uprisings. A year after the formation of AZAPO, in September 1979, at its conference in Roodepoort, the national executive was elected with Curtis Nkondo as its president.[2]: 436 During 1987, AZAPO was banned by the South African government and forced underground and into exile.[2]: 436 It would be unbanned in 1990.[2]: 436 In October 1994, AZAPO merged with its sister organisation in exile, the Black Consciousness Movement of Azania (BCMA).[2]: 436
AZAPO campaigned for the isolation of South Africa during its apartheid years by waging a "cultural boycott" in the country; black people increasingly regained their resolve to fight for their freedom and formed trade unions and civic organisations.
The armed wing of AZAPO was the
AZAPO, along with its youth wing AZAYO were unbanned in 1990, which permitted it to continue its political programs legally. It was invited, but refused to participate in, the
The current leader (National President) of the party is Nelvis Qekema who was elected at the 25th National Congress held at University of Johannesburg, Soweto on December 4, 2021. He succeeded Strike Thokoane who was elected as president of AZAPO in 2017, during the party's 23rd National Congress in Meadowlands, Soweto.[4]
In February 2022, AZAPO and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) announced a new unity pact with the intention to contest elections together.[5]
Negotiations with SOPA
The party has had regular negotiations with SOPA aimed at merging the two parties, but these broke down in 2004, 2007 and again in 2013.[6][7]
Election results
National elections
Election[8] | Total votes | Share of vote | Seats | +/– | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1999
|
27,257 | 0.17% | 1 / 400
|
– | in opposition |
2004
|
39,116 | 0.25% | 1 / 400
|
±0 | in opposition |
2009
|
38,245 | 0.22% | 1 / 400
|
±0 | in opposition |
2014
|
20,421 | 0.11% | 0 / 400
|
1 | extraparliamentary |
2019
|
12,823 | 0.07% | 0 / 400
|
±0 | extraparliamentary |
Provincial elections
Election[8] | Eastern Cape | Free State
|
Gauteng | Kwazulu-Natal | Limpopo | Mpumalanga | North-West | Northern Cape | Western Cape | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | % | Seats | |
1999
|
- | - | - | - | 0.16% | 0/73 | 0.17% | 0/80 | 0.54% | 0/49 | 0.10% | 0/30 | - | - | 0.41% | 0/30 | - | - |
2004
|
0.17% | 0/63 | 0.35% | 0/30 | 0.25% | 0/73 | 0.26% | 0/80 | 0.51% | 0/49 | 0.19% | 0/30 | 0.29% | 0/33 | 0.52% | 0/30 | 0.09% | 0/42 |
2009
|
0.20% | 0/63 | - | - | 0.21% | 0/73 | - | - | 0.38% | 0/49 | 0.23% | 0/30 | 0.25% | 0/33 | 0.60% | 0/30 | 0.07% | 0/42 |
2014
|
0.12% | 0/63 | 0.16% | 0/30 | 0.12% | 0/73 | 0.15% | 0/80 | 0.26% | 0/49 | 0.09% | 0/30 | 0.17% | 0/33 | 0.25% | 0/30 | 0.04% | 0/42 |
2019
|
0.08% | 0/63 | 0.09% | 0/30 | 0.08% | 0/73 | 0.07% | 0/80 | 0.17% | 0/49 | 0.04% | 0/30 | 0.08% | 0/33 | 0.25% | 0/30 | 0.02% | 0/42 |
Municipal elections
Election | Votes | % | +/– |
---|---|---|---|
2000
|
0.3% | ||
2006
|
74,627 | 0.3% | |
2011
|
50,631 | 0.2% | |
2016[9]
|
28,049 | 0.07% | |
2021[10] | 17,744 | 0.06% |
References
- ^ "Leadership – Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO)". Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ S2CID 145241623.
- ^ "Azanian People's Organization (AZAPO)". South African History online. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Strike Thokoane elected new Azapo leader". African Times Online News Website South | West | East | North | Africa. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ Imraan Buccus (21 March 2022). "Azapo seeks renewal". New Frame. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ "Azapo, Sopa merge ahead of polls". Independent Online. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ "Impasse thwarts Azapo, Sopa merger". Independent Online. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Results Dashboard". www.elections.org.za. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- ^ "Results Summary - All Ballots" (PDF). elections.org.za. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "Results Summary - All Ballots" (PDF). elections.org.za. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
External links
- Azanian People's Organisation official site
- Flag of AZAPO