The spirit of militancy which had evolved in the late 1950's, and the heightened expectations of the people which had emerged, kept people hopeful and there was at that stage no felt need amongst ordinary black South Africans for alternative political organisations.

Black South Africa was then unaware of the immense difficulties with which the exiled leadership of the ANC and PAC would be faced. Having made the decision to become underground revolutionary forces preparing for an armed struggle, the ANC and PAC leaders who went into exile did so naively in anticipation that the African and international community would rally to their support. They believed that the horrors of apartheid had already been rejected by the international community and that the final drastic action the South African Government took against the ANC and the PAC would lead the international community to rally behind them.