AZAPO

About the party

The Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO) was formed in May 1978 following the banning of Black Consciousness organisations like the Black People’s Convention (BPC) and the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO) for their part in the events surrounding the June 1976 Soweto uprising. AZAPO was also banned in 1987 by the apartheid government, forcing it to go underground and into exile. The organisation was subsequently unbanned in 1990 and merged with its sister organisation, the Black Consciousness Movement of Azania (BCMA), in 1994. The party boycotted the first democratic elections in 1994 after refusing to take part in the negotiations to end apartheid rule. In subsequent democratic municipal elections, the party won minimal support, and its representation has been restricted to a few seats in a handful of small, isolated local councils. It remains a marginal party and is led today by Nelvis Qekema.