It is boom time for the Pan Africanist Congress

The probe into the arms deal and the controversy surrounding the African National Congress chief whip Tony Yengeni's acquisition of a Mercedes 4x4 has raised the party's public profile tremendously.

The PAC emerged from its annual policy conference last weekend with a real chance of reviving its bid to become an opposition party of substance. There were beaming faces among the PAC's office bearers at its head office in Pretoria this week.

Two years ago PAC MP Patricia de Lille brandished a document naming Yengeni as one of several beneficiaries of the R43-billion arms deal. The document accused Yengeni of having received money for a new Mercedes from one of the bidders in the arms acquisition package.

Political analyst Tom Lodge concurs that the PAC has been "extremely effective in raising the corruption issue surrounding the arms deal". The party, he said, had been "considerably successful".

And Lodge believes that if the PAC persists with "the energy with which it has moved the arms deal probe" it will enhance public sentiment already behind it.

The party, he says, has been very effective in enhancing its public image on two counts - fighting corruption and its stance on the provision of drugs for people with HIV/Aids.

Lodge believes the Democratic Alliance has been "strategic" in its stance on the arms deal probe, allowing the PAC to take the lead so that it could not be accused of white racism.

Lodge feels while the "magnificent" De Lille is to be thanked for pushing the two issues into the public limelight, the party has managed to emerge on its own.

Realising the potential of exploiting its newfound status, the PAC, while strategising on its policy at the weekend, has decided to chart an "aggressive" course towards "reinventing" itself.

In an extremely critical report presented by the party's secretary general, Thami ka Plaatjie, the PAC has identified the lack of visible and "hands on" leadership in provincial structures, proper organisation and resources as the major reasons for its failure to mobilise support.

The PAC, which was formed in 1959 after members broke away from the ANC, has been plagued with a leadership crisis for most of its existence, particularly after the death of its most effective president, Robert Sobukwe.

Under Sobukwe's leadership the party launched a campaign against the pass laws, which led to the Sharpeville massacre in 1960. The PAC and the ANC were banned the same year. Sobukwe was imprisoned on Robben Island.

Zephania Mothopeng, the leader who succeeded Sobukwe, was also sentenced to 15 years in prison.

There were divisions within the PAC over Mothopeng's leadership, which continued after the party's unbanning in 1990. The infighting continued with Clarence Makwetu's appointment in 1991. Makwetu's leadership style is widely held as the reason for the party's dismal performance in the 1994 elections. He was forced out at the party's 1996 conference.

A non-political figure in the form of Dr Stanley Mogoba was brought in as the president of the party in 1996 to bring stability, says Ka Plaatjie. He says Mogoba has been an effective leader.

The PAC has realised that it is time for effective new leadership to emerge from within its structures. It has set up a national election authority to enable this process. There is a possibility that the party might have elections for office bearers next year instead of its original schedule of 2003.

There is talk of making De Lille the deputy president of the party, because of her enhanced and effective public profile, but the PAC might not be ready for a woman president.

Ka Plaatjie says the party has decided on a programme of action that will include establishing branches in every township.

The other targets of the programme of action include creating community-based organisations; infiltrating church, sport, civic and youth organisations and trade unions; canvassing traditional leaders "who hold a great deal of influence in the rural areas"; and organising national, provincial or regional demonstrations once every three months to highlight community concerns.

"We will be making deliberate efforts to increase the profile of provincial and regional leaders so that they can play an active role in the resolution of the concerns within their areas of jurisdiction," says Ka Plaatjie.

In his report, Ka Plaatjie underlines the role of the media. "No media publicity is bad publicity ... Today the media is not a neutral political onlooker whose role is that of reportage. It is a critical force that must be won if not neutralised for the cause we represent."

The media blitz this week surrounding the PAC's expected release of the names of ANC officials involved in the alleged arms deal kickbacks was an effective exercise along these lines. Even the SABC aired the PAC's conference as its lead story in its news broadcast on Tuesday night.

The ANC this week lashed out at the PAC, saying that "the arms deal probe is the only olive branch left to sustain the political life of the PAC".

With acknowledgement to the Mail and Guardian and Jaspreet Kindra.