ANC's organisational deficiencies were magnified by the attitude of its leadership in exile towards the struggle for liberation in the country. Mr. Oliver Tambo and people like Joe Slovo regarded their prime responsibility as one of preparing for an armed struggle. They argued that whatever else was done would detract from this prime purpose. Internal democratic and non-violent opposition to apartheid was regarded as contrary in idiom to the real nature of the struggle. Not only, therefore, did the remnants of the ANC in the country suffer from disillusionment and police intimidation, but they did so in a vacuum created by the ANC exiled leadership's lack of concern with what could be done to develop democratic and non-violent opposition to apartheid in the country.

The ever-increasing activities of the Security Police, the harshness of life in an apartheid society, mass poverty, the experience of grave deficiencies in essential social services and educational facilities, the lack of employment opportunities, appalling housing conditions in urban areas, over-population in rural areas and many other factors, combined once again to conscientise black South Africa politically. By the early 1970's there were the first stirrings of what would later lead to black South Africans regrouping in new political organisations.