ANC

ANC
Name	African National Congress
Native name	Inkatha? No — omitted
Founded	1912
Founder	John Langalibalele Dube; Pixley ka Isaka Seme
Ideology	Nationalism; Social democracy; Africanism
Position	Centre-left to left-wing
Headquarters	Johannesburg
Country	South Africa

ANC is a major political party in South Africa founded in 1912. It played a central role in the struggle against apartheid and later governed the country after the transition to democracy in 1994. The party has influenced South African politics, social policy, and international solidarity movements throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

History

The party was founded in 1912 by figures including John Langalibalele Dube and Pixley ka Isaka Seme, emerging amid campaigns such as the Cape Qualified Franchise debates and responses to the Natives Land Act, 1913. During the interwar period the party engaged with actors like W.E.B. Du Bois and the Pan-African Congress; leaders negotiated with trade unions such as the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union. In the 1940s and 1950s the leadership included Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and Walter Sisulu, and the party coordinated mass campaigns like the Defiance Campaign and adopted documents such as the Freedom Charter. After the Sharpeville massacre and increasing repression, exiled leadership worked with organizations including the South African Communist Party and movements aligned with the Non-Aligned Movement; armed resistance was organized through groups like Umkhonto we Sizwe. The 1990s saw negotiations involving F.W. de Klerk, Thabo Mbeki, and Roelf Meyer leading to the end of apartheid, the 1994 interim constitution, and the first democratic elections won by the party under a leadership that featured Nelson Mandela as president. Subsequent decades featured presidencies of Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe, and Jacob Zuma, each shaping policy responses to crises such as the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.

Ideology and Policies

The party's ideology blends strands of African nationalism, social democracy, and alliances with the South African Communist Party. Its policy platform has historically emphasized redress measures like Black Economic Empowerment, land reform influenced by debates over the Natives Land Act, 1913, and affirmative action tied to the Constitution of South Africa. Economic policy under different administrations ranged from the neoliberal-influenced Growth, Employment and Redistribution framework to more state-led interventions during periods of expanded public procurement and infrastructure programs such as the National Development Plan. Public health and social policy responses referenced global frameworks including those advanced by the World Health Organization during the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa, and education reforms intersected with institutions like University of Cape Town and University of the Witwatersrand as sites of protest and change.

Organizational Structure

The party's structure includes a national executive body, provincial branches such as those in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, and local units affiliated with civil society groups like the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African National Civic Organisation. Key internal components have included a National Executive Committee and conferences that set policy at events comparable in significance to other parties' congresses such as the Communist Party of the Soviet Union congresses in form if not in ideology. Leadership transitions have occurred through contested national conferences featuring figures like Cyril Ramaphosa and Derek Hanekom. The party maintains auxiliary structures including a women's league and a youth league, which have produced prominent politicians such as Luthuli? No — omitted and others who influenced policy debates in provincial legislatures like the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.

Electoral Performance

Since 1994 the party has been the dominant electoral force in South African national elections, winning majorities in the National Assembly across multiple election cycles including the first democratic election in 1994 and subsequent polls in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Regional performance has varied, with strong support in provinces like Eastern Cape and Free State, and competitive challenges from parties such as the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters in urban centers including Cape Town and Johannesburg. Voter turnout dynamics have been influenced by campaigns addressing service delivery issues in municipalities like Ekurhuleni and eThekwini.

Role in Government and Influence

As the ruling party for much of the post-apartheid era, the party shaped national institutions including the Constitutional Court and ministries responsible for finance, health, and public works. Administrations implemented policies affecting infrastructure projects like the Gautrain and social grants programs administered through the South African Social Security Agency. Internationally, the party influenced regional bodies such as the African Union and engaged in diplomacy with states like China and Brazil as part of broader South-South cooperation initiatives. Its governance impacted constitutional jurisprudence via litigation involving the Constitutional Court and parliamentary oversight through the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises.

Controversies and Criticism

The party has faced criticism over corruption scandals implicating state-owned enterprises such as South African Airways and Eskom, leading to inquiries and commissions comparable in public attention to the Zondo Commission. Allegations involving figures like Jacob Zuma and debates over state capture provoked judicial and parliamentary responses involving institutions like the National Prosecuting Authority and the Public Protector. Policy controversies included the handling of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa during the Mbeki era, land reform debates referencing the Natives Land Act, 1913, and factionalism visible at national conferences contested by leaders such as Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. These controversies have affected electoral support and prompted civil society actions from organizations such as Right2Know Campaign and trade unions including the Congress of South African Trade Unions.

Category:Political parties in South Africa