ANC (South Africa)

ANC (South Africa)
Name	African National Congress
Native name	African National Congress
Founded	1912
Founder	John Langalibalele Dube, Sol Plaatje
Leader	Cyril Ramaphosa
Position	Left-wing to centre-left
Headquarters	Johannesburg
Country	South Africa

ANC (South Africa) The African National Congress is a major political movement in South Africa founded in 1912 as the South African Native National Congress and later renamed. It led mass campaigns against segregationist and racial policies, allied with labour movements and international anti-colonial actors, and became the ruling party after the 1994 elections. The party's trajectory intersects with figures such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Thabo Mbeki, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Jacob Zuma, and institutions like the United Nations and the African National Congress Youth League.

History

The party emerged from early 20th-century struggles involving leaders like John Dube and Sol Plaatje reacting to policies by entities such as the South African Republic and the Union of South Africa. In the 1940s the rise of the African National Congress Youth League under activists including Anton Lembede and Nelson Mandela shifted tactics toward mass action, coordinating strikes, petitions, and the Defiance Campaign with alliances to the South African Communist Party and trade unions like the Congress of South African Trade Unions. After the passage of the Group Areas Act and the zenith of apartheid under figures such as P.W. Botha and Hendrik Verwoerd, the party moved into exile and formed an armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, with leaders including Chris Hani and Joe Slovo. The imprisonment of leaders on Robben Island and diplomatic campaigns involving the United States and European Union framed global opposition, culminating in negotiations led by F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela that produced the Interim Constitution and the 1994 democratic transition.

Organisation and Structure

The party's structure features a National Conference, National Executive Committee, Provincial Executive Committees, and branches in municipalities and wards, interacting with bodies like the ANC Youth League, the ANC Women's League, and the Umkhonto we Sizwe Veterans' Association. Key offices include the President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer-General, filled by politicians such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Jacob Zuma, and Gwede Mantashe at various times. The party maintains policy forums and alliances with labour federations like COSATU and civic coalitions such as the South African National Civics Organisation, besides maintaining research institutes and training centres modeled on historical examples like the African National Congress Department of Intelligence and Security and international partners including the African Union.

Ideology and Policies

The party articulates a blend of social democratic, national liberation, and African nationalist currents, influenced by thinkers and institutions such as Karl Marx via the South African Communist Party and postcolonial leaders like Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere. Policy platforms have included land reform referencing the Restitution of Land Rights Act, affirmative action through Black Economic Empowerment initiatives, social grants linked to welfare debates, and public ownership legacies reflected in state-owned enterprises like Eskom, Transnet, and South African Airways. The party's economic stance has evolved from the Freedom Charter's nationalization language to growth, employment and redistribution frameworks and debates over neoliberal policies under administrations like Thabo Mbeki and redistributive measures under Nelson Mandela.

Electoral Performance and Governance

Since the first post-apartheid elections in 1994, the party has won successive national elections, forming administrations under presidents including Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe, Jacob Zuma, and Cyril Ramaphosa. Electoral bases span urban townships, rural areas, and traditional authorities in regions such as Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape, competing with parties like the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters. Governance responsibilities have involved national policymaking, provincial administrations, and municipal governance, overseeing public services, constitutional reform processes, and interactions with the Constitutional Court and institutions such as the South African Reserve Bank.

Role in Post-Apartheid South Africa

The party has shaped post-apartheid institutions including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Desmond Tutu, transitional justice measures, and frameworks for constitutional democracy codified in the Constitution of South Africa. It guided socio-economic programmes like RDP housing projects, vaccination and health initiatives combating HIV/AIDS, and educational reforms in partnership with universities such as University of Cape Town and University of the Witwatersrand. Internationally, the party has influenced regional policy through the African Union and Southern African Development Community and engaged in diplomatic initiatives with states like China and United States.

Controversies and Criticism

The party has faced criticism over corruption scandals, state capture allegations involving entities like Steinhoff and personalities linked to the Gupta family, and inquiries such as the Zondo Commission. Leadership disputes among figures like Jacob Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa have prompted factionalism visible in clashes with unions like NUM and internal recalls. Policy critiques target responses to energy crises at Eskom, service-delivery failures in municipalities like Nelson Mandela Bay, and contentious approaches to land reform debated alongside parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters and civil organizations including the Landless People's Movement. Legal and civil-society actions, court rulings from the Constitutional Court, and investigative journalism from outlets like the Mail & Guardian and City Press continue to shape accountability debates.

Category:Political parties in South Africa