John Nyathi "Poks" Pokela (1922[1] or 1923[2] – 30 June 1985) was a South African political activist and Chairman of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).
Born in Herschel in the Transkei region, he was educated at Healdtown Comprehensive School and the University of Fort Hare.
In February 1981, he was appointed to succeed Vusumzi Make, (who had resigned after the Chunya massacre in March 1980 when APLA troops refused to accept his leadership), to become head of the Tanzanian backed faction of the PAC.
[1] His leadership was rejected by the survivors of the 500 strong APLA Chunya force as well as the Maoist PAC factions in Zimbabwe, Libya, Ghana, and Kenya but Tanzania persuaded the Mugabe government to deport or imprison the major opponents (Leballo, Leeman, Gaelisiwe, Buqwana) .
He was buried in a state funeral in Zimbabwe officiated by Stanley Mogoba, a Methodist bishop, and was praised by Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe for reuniting the PAC.