African People's Convention (APC)

Founded: 2007.

The African People's Convention is a Pan-Africanist and socialist party formed on 5 September 2007 under President Themba Godi. Its 2024 election manifesto commits it to "an Africanist socialist democracy", state ownership or shareholding in the "commanding heights" of the economy, nationalised land under state custodianship, a ban on labour broking, and a new constitution establishing a two-tier system of national and local government without provinces or district municipalities.

Official website: https://www.theapc.co.za/

Not yet reviewed by a human. These positions were placed by reading the sources below; each one links to the document it came from.

12 of 15 axes have a cited position. Axes without a published position are marked as such and are never scored.

Positions

Economy: state or market — -1.75

State-led: the state owns or directs key industries, sets prices and plans investment.Market-led: private ownership, deregulation, lower taxes and a smaller state.

State-led: the state owns or directs key industries, sets prices and plans investment.

State intervention in the economy will be through regulations, total ownership, majority shareholding or minority shareholding in enterprises. The state will be heavily involved in the commanding heights and strategic areas of the economy like mining, agriculture, banks, manufacturing, communication etc.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 1. Transform The Economy To Serve The People (Socialism) (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Land reform and expropriation — -2.00

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.Strong property rights; redistribution only through willing-buyer/willing-seller and the courts.

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.

The APC believes that land must be under the custodianship of the State for the use and benefit of the people. Land as a symbol of national sovereignty must be returned to its original owners, the African people.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 7. Nationalized Land (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

BEE and race-based redress — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Labour market — -1.50

Strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.Flexible labour market: easier hiring and dismissal, fewer statutory protections, incentives for employers.

Strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.

An APC government will lead in ending the exploitation and vulnerability of workers by ensuring that outsourced and contract workers in government, constitutional bodies and state owned entities are permanently employed, with full rights and benefits. ... The APC will ban labour broking, and the state would have to lead the way.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 4. Permanent Employment (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Healthcare and NHI — -1.25

Universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Insurance with a smaller private sector.Private provision: medical schemes and market competition carry most of the system, with a smaller public role.

Leaning towards: universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided national health insurance with a smaller private sector.

There are plenty of successful practices from socialist countries that will serve as referral points for the APC. Profiteering on health will be highly proscribed. The Socialist system will seek to provide high quality of health care.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 3.2. Health (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Education — -1.50

State-directed schooling: a central curriculum, expanded free public education and tighter regulation of independent schools.Parental choice: independent schools, charter-type models and market mechanisms in education.

State-directed schooling: a central curriculum, expanded free public education and tighter regulation of independent schools.

The APC envisions a socialist system of education which is designed to serve Society as a whole, not a few individuals and capitalists; inculcate in young people a sense of total commitment to society, and help them accept the values appropriate to our kind of future; emphasising collective endeavour, not individual advancement.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 3.1. Education (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Crime and policing — -0.50

Enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.Prevention-first: community policing, restorative justice, and civil-liberties safeguards.

Between the two poles

The APC will seek to strengthen the criminal justice system, simplify processes, quicken sentencing and build a solid partnership between the state and communities. ... The APC will ensure there is a two years’ compulsory national service for our youth to be trained in the army militarily and in useful skills to instill patriotism, a sense of purpose and responsibility in life and to protect communities.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 6. Fighting Criminality and Buildings Social Cohesion (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Immigration — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Energy and climate — +0.75

Rapid decarbonisation: coal phase-out, renewable generation and climate commitments prioritised.Energy security first: continued coal, gas or nuclear generation and a slower transition.

Leaning towards: energy security first: continued coal, gas or nuclear generation and a slower transition.

Our energy policy will be to have a combination of renewables, fossil and nuclear energy. The APC will always seek to use the most reliable and cheapest form of energy that can sustain, at all times, the needs of the country, both households and industries. The APC will keep Eskom as the lead role-player, as a state entity, in the provision of electricity.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 3.5. Electricity (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Federalism and devolution — -0.75

Centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.Devolved or federal: more powers, budgets and discretion for provinces and municipalities.

Leaning towards: centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.

The APC will seek in the new constitution the establishment of a two-tier system of government i.e. national and local government. The APC will campaign for the abolishment of provinces and district municipalities.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 9. The Constitution (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Traditional leadership — -0.50

Expanded role: traditional leaders hold formal powers over governance, land and customary law.Limited role: elected structures and individual constitutional rights take precedence over customary authority.

Between the two poles

The APC also want some Traditional leaders to stand as candidates under the banner of the APC so they could use the platform to drive rural development this position was fully endorsed by all traditional leaders present.

APC holds traditional leaders indaba in Limpopo (party_document; accessed 2026-10-18)

Social values — No published position found

No published position found. This axis does not count towards the match.

Foreign policy — -1.50

Non-aligned and Global South: closer ties with BRICS, Russia, China and Palestine, with distance from Western powers.Western-aligned: closer ties with the United States, the European Union and other liberal democracies.

Non-aligned and Global South: closer ties with BRICS, Russia, China and Palestine, with distance from Western powers.

We would be failing in our internationalist duties if we do not speak in support of the oppressed but heroic people of Palestine. Our government must never lower its voice in demanding freedom for the Palestinians and condemning the deplorable conditions of their existence under Israeli oppression.

APC's input in the President's Budget Vote Debate (party_document, 2010-05-12; accessed 2026-10-18)

Anti-corruption and governance — -0.75

Expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.Smaller state machinery: fewer new bodies and regulations, with corruption handled through existing criminal law and the courts.

Leaning towards: expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.

APC will create organs of people’s power to support and monitor the work of the state. ... APC will ensure that there are permanent and compulsory social audits of services rendered.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 3. Improve The Provision Of Basic Services To The People (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)

Local service delivery — -1.00

Centralised delivery: national standards and national or provincial intervention where councils fail.Municipal self-reliance: councils and communities decide, with private or community providers used where they work better.

Leaning towards: centralised delivery: national standards and national or provincial intervention where councils fail.

The APC will nationalize water, make it a national competence to ensure a fair and equitable sharing of this resource. The provision of water to the people will be a national competence to ensure uniformity of provision.

APC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Section D, 3.4. Water (manifesto; accessed 2026-10-18)