Azanian People's Organization
The Azanian People's Organization ( AZAPO for short ; German about Organization of the Azanian People ) is a political organization in South Africa . It is based on the philosophical principles of Steve Biko , Onkgopotse Tiro and Vuyelwa Mashalaba , which emerged during the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) (about: movement for black self-awareness ). Mosibudi Mangena is currently party leader (as of 2009).
During apartheid , the Azanian National Liberation Army (AZANLA) was the armed wing of AZAPO.
AZAPO was founded in 1978 out of three organizations: the Black People's Convention (BPC), the South African Students' Organization (SASO) and the Black Community Programs (BCP). These belonged to a group of BCM organizations that were banned for their participation in the armed resistance and uprising in Soweto of June 16, 1976. In October 1994 it merged with its exiled sister organization Black Consciousness Movement of Azania (BCMA).
On March 21, 1998, the Socialist Party of Azania (SOPA) split off from AZAPO.
In the 1980s, the AZAPO was embroiled in a bloody confrontation with the African National Congress (ANC), which is now the dominant party . Since then, the organization has also tried its hand as a political party and won a seat in the South African parliament in the general election in South Africa in 2004 . She defended this seat in the 2009 parliamentary elections , but lost it in the 2014 elections when she only received 0.11% of the vote.
There are three important programs of AZAPO
- the Stretch the Rand Campaign - to support the “black” economy
- the Defend Democracy Campaign - to abolish the possibility of floor crossing
- the Save Mumia Abu-Jamal Campaign - for the liberation of Mumia Abu-Jamal , a convicted US murderer and Black Panther activist