The PSA was formed in the aftermath of a series of riots in Leopoldville in 1959 which led to the rapid growth of African nationalist parties and prompted the Belgian government to announce that independence for the colony was his long term aim.
[3] The new party's President-General was Antoine Gizenga whilst Cléophas Kamitatu served as Provincial President.
[4] The PSA quickly became one of the best organised of the parties that emerged following the king's edict, and it established a strong base amongst the rural communities of the Kwango and Kwilu Districts of the country.
[4] Along with the Mouvement National Congolais the PSA was unusual amongst the new parties in that it did not identify with one ethnic group but rather preached socialism.
[6] Effectively sidelined from mainstream politics, the PSA disappeared completely after the emergence of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu in 1965.