The Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO) is founded after the government banned a host of BCM organisations in October 1977.

In the aftermath of the 16 June 1976 Uprising, in Soweto, Johannesburg, the apartheid government banned all the organisations under the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) banner. The BCM organisations were the forces behind the uprising, these included among others, the Black People's Convention (BPC), the South African Students' Organisation (SASO) and the Black Community Programmes (BCP). Out of the banning of these liberation movements the Azanian People’s Organisation (AZAPO) was founded to carry on the work of liberation as an overt organisation. The organisation adopted the Black Consciousness philosophy advocated by Steven Biko and continued to propagate it in it programmes. During the apartheid years AZAPO became increasingly divided with some of its members adhering to the African National Congress’ (ANC) Freedom Charter which promotes non-racialism. AZAPO boycotted the 1994 democratic elections; however, it has since participated in all subsequent elections.