This experience in the exiled world consumed years during which black South African attitudes and sentiments of support for the exiled movements became disillusioned and began to flag. It began to dawn on people that there would be no easy victory for them. Those who had gone into exile would not return as political shining knights in armour leading a victorious army of liberators from across the country's borders. Black South Africa became increasingly aware, both of the difficulties which exiled leaders faced, and of the climate of suspicion which was evolving between black brother and black brother in the exiled world. Those who fled the country to follow its leadership into exile to seek military training again and again found themselves stranded in foreign places where the leadership they followed into exile was powerless to assist them.

There were no viable military bases in which vital training of insurgents was taking place.  There was a desperate shortage of money everywhere and those who left the country to join the PAC and ANC leadership in exile frequently found themselves living in appalling conditions in refugee camps in various parts of the world where they were confronted with intergroup and interpersonal hostility and intrigue.

Belief in the eventual return of the ANC or the PAC however persisted in the black South African mind for a surprisingly long time. But no matter how strong that belief was, disillusionment increasingly set in. By the early 1970's, belief in the imminent return of the ANC and PAC was, to all intents and purposes, abandoned.