Pan Africanist Congress leader Motsoko Pheko
Won't Break Bread with Bush

Business Day (South Africa) 3jul03

Pan Africanist Congress leader Motsoko Pheko has turned down an invitation by President Thabo Mbeki to an official luncheon on July 9 in honour of United States President George Bush.

Bush is due to arrive in South Africa on July 8 for a two-day official visit.

In a letter to Mbeki, Pheko said the PAC would usually accept a presidential invitation whenever it was extended.

Unfortunately, after broad consultation "in our movement", he regretted he could not accept this particular invitation, for a number of reasons.

These included that Bush had undermined the authority of the United Nations Security Council and waged an illegal war in Iraq, and was threatening other countries of the South.

He had "falsified information about weapons of mass destruction" and displaced thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children in his unjustified war on that country, Pheko said.

Bush was "meddling" in the internal affairs of other nations, violating their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

His utterances on Zimbabwe and claims that "Nepad is dead before it arrives" if African countries do not get involved in that country's internal affairs was unacceptable to the PAC.

Bush had been "in the politics of America for a long time", and had never raised the issues of democracy during the era of apartheid in South Africa, nor during the time of Idi Amin's Uganda, Marco's Philippines or Mobuto's Zaire.

"President Bush is seeking legitimacy for his illegal activities, and one of his agendas is to push the genetically modified food on the African continent. Africa is not for sale," he said.

"What President Bush ought to be doing is to be joining forces which are demanding the cancellation of the 'foreign' debt, which is a big hindrance to the development of Africa.

Pheko said he was appealing, through Mbeki, to Bush, to agree to a general disarmament in which all countries, including the United States, with weapons of mass destruction would destroy these weapons.

"It is not right and just for President Bush to demand other countries to dispose of these weapons while his own country has piles of them," he said.

However, the PAC leader said his party had "great respect for the people of America".

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  source: http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1380485-6078-0,00.html

PAC Leader Refuses to Lunch with Bush

The Cape Times 3jul03

Pan Africanist Congress leader Motsoko Pheko has declined an invitation to a lunch for United States President George Bush.

He said that among his reasons were that Bush had undermined the United Nations Security Council's authority and waged an illegal war in Iraq.

Bush was "meddling" in the internal affairs of other nations and his utterances on Zimbabwe were unacceptable to the PAC.

He had been in politics a long time, yet during apartheid he had not raised South Africa's need for democracy. He should be demanding the cancellation of Africa's debt, Pheko said.

Freedom Front leader Pieter Mulder, who is to attend the lunch, criticised Pheko for his decision and the SA Communist Party and Cosatu for planning protests.

Accusing them of political dishonesty, he said they had not protested against Zimbabwe and Libya's leaders and were among the first to expect the West to provide financial aid during African disasters. - Sapa

source: http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=6&art_id=vn20030703054817662C709961&set_id=1 3jul03

PAC Heals Rift, Elects Pheko as President

The Dispatch (South Africa) 16jun03

JOHANNESBURG—Motsoko Pheko was elected the new Pan Africanist Congress president yesterday at the party's national elective congress, ending its leadership crisis.

The PAC suspended the congress in Umtata last December after allegations that Pheko had brought under-aged voters to the congress.

The congress then decided that outgoing president Stanley Mogoba should continue to lead the party until the congress was reconvened.

"The PAC has been vindicated; there have been prophets claiming the PAC was dying. Lies have been written in ink. Just because we suspended the congress last year did not mean the end of PAC," a jubilant Pheko said.

"I am going to unite the PAC because we cannot win on anything unless the party is united."

Pheko said the PAC lacked infrastructure and people at the party's office did not have job descriptions.

"First thing I will do is to work on that (infrastructure).

"If the office does not have a formal structure, how can we tackle the issues affecting our people?" Pheko said.

He said he would vigorously campaign for free education, land eviction and privatisation.

"I will work on all issues that affect poor people. They need education, homes and jobs, and without all this, how can we build a better South Africa?" he said.

He acknowledged the PAC did not have funds: "I will work on fund- raising and explore various ways to get money."

Pheko said it was important the party did well in next year's national elections.

"I will work hard on campaigning for the elections and I want to assure PAC members that we will do well."

Pheko, who was the party's deputy-president, received 616 votes, beating Maxwell Nemadzivhanani who received 209 votes, PAC national spokesman Waters Toboti said.

Pheko, who joined the PAC in 1960, served as the PAC's deputy-president under Clarence Makwetu and the outgoing president, Stanley Mogoba.

Joe Mkhwanazi was elected national chairperson; Mofihli Likotsi the new secretary-general; Raymond Kgaudi treasurer; and national organiser Ntsie Mohloai.

Mogoba, 71, congratulated Pheko, saying the new president's greatest challenge would be maintaining the party's fragile unity.

He also said the PAC needed adequate financial resources in order to give it muscle.

Mogoba said he would remain a loyal member of the PAC and would co-operate with the new leadership whenever they needed his help.

"I have no regrets and I did everything to the best of my ability when I was the president to make the party grow."

Mogoba, who has led the party since 1996, decided not to run for re-election, saying: "I've had my innings."

The former general-secretary, Thami ka-Plaatjie, who was contesting the presidency with Pheko, apparently stormed out of the congress earlier in the day.

PAC national spokesman Waters Toboti said it was not known why he left.

"We do not know where he is."

Themba Godi was elected deputy-president of the party. -- Sapa

source: http://www.dispatch.co.za/2003/06/16/southafrica/AAPAC.HTM 3jul03