Mphahlele left for exile in Botswana in August 1978. Upon his arrival, he joined the Pan Africanist Congress. As a refugee in Botswana, he was sent by the Botswana Government to the Dukwe Refugee Camp, and from there left for Tanzania, and then Guinea, where he underwent military training. Returning to Botswana on an Azanian People's Liberation Army assignment, he was expelled from the country and crossed the border to Zimbabwe, where he was detained as an illegal immigrant. After being released, he was appointed by the PAC as Chief representative to Uganda, but Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni turned down his appointment in favour of an old colleague. He was then appointed to APLA's high command, where he helped orchestrate several high-profile attacks against whites in South Africa, stating that he "regarded all whites as legitimate targets as they were complicit in the government's policy of apartheid". Still based in Zimbabwe, he was responsible for couriering arms from Botswana to South Africa, but was arrested in Botswana and sentenced to five years imprisonment. Ignored by the PAC and forced to rely upon African National Congress members for food and supplies, he embarked on a hunger strike and was visited by then PAC-president Zephania Mothopeng.
Political career
He was elected leader of the PAC in September 2006, and reelected unopposed in July 2008. Under his leadership, the PAC suffered numerous splits, a rebellion by its youth wing, PAYCO, and lost two of its three seats in the 2009 general election. He was expelled from the party in May 2013 on charges of financial impropriety, bringing the party into disrepute, and not steering the party in the right direction, and the decision was ratified in August 2013. However, in Case No: 13/19023 of the South Gauteng High Court Johannesburg S Africa, with presiding Judge Kgomo, the following order was made: 1. The meeting held on 11 May 2013 convened by the first respondent is declared invalid and unconstitutional vis-a-vis the Constitution of the PAC. 2. All resolutions and/or decisions adopted or made at the above mentioned meeting of 11 May 2013 are declared invalid and are set aside 3. The suspension and subsequent or ultimate dismissal of the first applicant is set aside. The first applicant remains the President of the second applicant. 4. The body of persons purported to be the NEC of the second applicant constituted pursuant to the meeting of 11 May 2013 is dissolved forthwith as their election is set aside. 5. The respondents are ordered to pay the costs of this application jointly and severally, the one paying, the other being absolved. I submit that the accusations of financial impropriety and other accusations levelled against Letlapa Mphahlele are erroneous and have not been tested in a court of law, but follow from people who are envious of the rightful President of the PAC, namely Letlapa Mphahlele, until party elections later in 2014.
