PAC leader urges Sharpeville voters to replace local leadership

Pan Africanist Congress of Azania leader Mzwanele Nyhontso urged Sharpeville residents to vote for his party during a campaign visit on October 10. He accused local leaders of failing to govern and deliver services.

SABC reported that party supporters retraced the route of the anti-pass-law protest on March 21, 1960. The commemoration formed part of the campaign ahead of local government elections on November 4.

Nyhontso said residents could improve their living conditions by replacing those in charge. He described Sharpeville as suffering from corruption, lawlessness and a collapse of local governance. These were the party leader's campaign assessments.

He also linked recent protests against illegal migration in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to a shortage of jobs and services. He argued that economic growth and employment would reduce such tensions. SABC reported his comments against the backdrop of disputes over a July Constitutional Court ruling on the consideration of asylum applications.