Gang of Eight Expelled from the African National Congress (ANC)
Exactly 50 years ago, on 11 December 1975, the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC) issued a Statement on “the expulsion of a conspiratorial clique”, which was presented by the Secretary-General, Alfred Nzo, following a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Morogoro, Tanzania. The ANC Statement referred to the expulsion of eight members due to what the Movement described as “disruptive factionalist activities based on reactionary racial grounds”.
The statement maintained that “A small discredited conspiratorial group of dissidents, some of them formerly active in the African National Congress, and other splinter movements, have recently intensified their campaign of lies, slander and malicious distortions intended to cause disruption within the ranks of the African National Congress and create confusion and demoralisation among the oppressed people of South Africa and world public.” Amongst those expelled were Alfred Kgokong Mqota, Tennyson Makiwane, Ambrose Mzimkulu Makiwane, Jonas Matlou, George Mbele, Thami Bonga (real name Thami Mhlambiso), Pascal Ngakane and O. K. (Milton) Setlhapelo.
This was because the eight members were pushing an Africanist position within the ANC which rejected the inclusion of non-Africans in the Revolutionary Council (RC). At the memorial of Robert Resha, Ambrose Makiwane criticised what he felt was a small group of communists who had ta
