The African National Congress (ANC) Foundation Day is celebrated every year on 8th January.
It is a day to remember African people’s struggle for freedom, who fought against the British and Boer colonisers. Till date, the ANC has maintained the spirit of resistance alive.
ANC was founded on 8th January 1912 by John Langalibalele Dube in Bloemfontein as the South African Native National Congress.
Its primary objective was to bring all Africans together as one people, to stand for their rights and freedoms. This included giving full voting rights to Black South Africans and mixed-race South Africans and, to end the apartheid system of racial separation and discrimination introduced by the National Party government after their rise to power in 1948.
ANC initially attempted to use non-violent protests to end apartheid; however, the Sharpeville massacre on 21st March 1960, where 69 black South Africans were shot and killed by police and hundereds injured during a protest, led to worsening ties with the White minority government.
The ANC was banned from 1960 to 1990 by the White South African government. Denied legal avenues for political change, the ANC began to organize outside of South Africa for guerilla warfare.
In 1961 ANC military organization,
“Spear of the Nation”, with Nelson Mandela as its head, was formed to carry out acts of sabotage as part of its campaign against apartheid.
ANC’s armed struggle achieved little success owing to strict internal security measures of the White South African Government. Mandela and other ANC leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 following the Rivonia Trial.
In 1990, The administration of F W De Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and its leaders were released from prison or allowed to return to South Africa and conduct peaceful political activities.
On 17 March 1992, a referendum on the continuation of apartheid was held, but only White South Africans were allowed to vote. However, the majority of the electorate voted to scrap apartheid. Mandela led the ANC in negotiations with the government over transition to a government elected by universal suffrage.
In April 1994, ANC swept to power, winning more than 60 percent of the vote for seats in the new National Assembly.
ANC has won every elections since then, albeit with reducing majority. Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and current incumbant Cyrill Ramaphosa have served as Presidents of South Africa under the new constitution.
ON THIS DAY 