These thoughts are not vindictive political thoughts aimed at destroying the credibility of the African National Congress for what it was as a mission in exile. It is an appeal to all concerned to look at the nature of black politics and to look at the kind of realities which have a central significance today. The inability of black South Africa to form a united front against apartheid was a harsh reality which was not attributable to individual failures or even to organisational failures only. Leadership blunders, individual failures, organisational failures all must be seen in the kind of historical and political perspectives which provide an understanding of the basis of political conflict in the country.

In this situation of conflict which emerged in the late fifties, and which has persisted ever since, accusation and counter-accusation about which leader or which organisation is to be held responsible for disunity has availed nothing. Accusation and counter-accusation merely dramatises disunity and destroys any possible basis of unity.

Black South Africa needs to face up to the realities of our situation which dictate that it was a betrayal of the causes of the struggle for liberation to have become involved in black/black power struggles and black/black political character assassination. Black South Africa should also have looked at the harsh reality that political unity is not achieved at the conference table and at secret meetings between leaders with disparate ideologies and disparate strategies and tactics. Harsh reality in this country demands that all political organisations and all black leaders abandon their search for organisational and individual pre-eminence and begin working with a deepening understanding that it is only in a multi-strategy approach in which each pursues opportunities available to each, and each permits others to pursue opportunities available to them, that we will succeed in the final transformation of South Africa.

Organisational competitiveness, the vying for eminence inevitably involves one black group in attempts to destroy other black groups. Vital energies which should be available to the people; leadership which should be available to the people; tactics and strategies which should be available to the people are destroyed by this process. Black committed to the PAC emerged.

New politically active or politically aware church, youth and civic organisations also emerged in the 1970's which sought to establish themselves independently from the ANC and the PAC. They found themselves in a very competitive political environment and were drawn into conflict not only between themselves but also between themselves and ANC and PAC support groups.

During this period there was also the emergence of the Black Consciousness Movement and a resurgence of political awareness amongst church groupings as well as the political conscientisation of student organisations.