African National Congress

The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party, and has been South Africa's governing party supported by a tripartite alliance between itself, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. Originally called the South African Native National Congress until 1923, it was founded to increase the rights of the South African black population, on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein, and counted John Dube (its first president) and poet and author Sol Plaatje among its founding members.

It has been the ruling party at national level in South Africa since 1994. It gained support in the 1999 elections, and further increased its majority in 2004.

History

Formed initially on January 8, 1912 by John Dube, Pixley Seme and Sol Plaatje along with chiefs, people's representatives, and church organisations, and other prominent individuals to bring all Africans together as one people to defend their rights and freedoms, the ANC from its inception represented both traditional and modern elements, from tribal chiefs to church and community bodies and educated black professionals, though women were only admitted as affiliate members from 1931 and as full members in 1943.

The formation of the ANC Youth League in 1944 by Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo heralded a new generation committed to building non-violent mass action against the legal underpinnings of the white minority's supremacy. In 1947 the ANC allied with the Natal Indian Congress and Transvaal Indian Congress, broadening the basis of its opposition to the government.

The return of an Afrikaner-led National Party government by the overwhelmingly white electorate in 1948 signaled the advent of the policy of apartheid. During the 1950s, non-whites were removed from electoral rolls, residence and mobility laws were tightened and political activities restricted.

In June 1952, the ANC joined with other anti-apartheid organisations in a Defiance Campaign against the restriction of political, labour and residential rights, during which protesters deliberately violated oppressive laws, following the example of Mahatma Gandhi's passive resistance in Natal and India. The campaign was called off in April 1953 after new laws prohibiting protest meetings were passed.

In June 1955, the Congress of the People, organised by the ANC and Indian, Coloured and White organizations at Kliptown near Johannesburg, adopted the Freedom Charter, henceforth the fundamental document of the anti-apartheid struggle with its demand for equal rights for all regardless of race. As opposition to the regime's policies continued, 156 leading members of the ANC and allied organisations were arrested in 1956; the resulting "Treason Trial" ended with their acquittal five years later.

In 1959, a number of members broke away from the ANC because they objected to the ANC's reorientation from African nationalist policies. They formed the rival Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), led by Robert Sobukwe.

Protest and banning

The ANC planned a campaign against the Pass Laws, which required blacks to carry an identity card at all times to justify their presence in "white" areas, to begin on 31 March 1960. The PAC pre-empted the ANC by holding unarmed protests 10 days earlier, during which 69 protesters were killed and 180 injured by police fire in what became known as the Sharpeville massacre.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, both organisations were banned from political activity. The ANC subsequently went underground and increased their violent protest actions to include operations commonly described as terrorism.

International opposition to the regime increased throughout the 1950s and 1960s, fueled by the growing number of newly independent nations, the Anti-Apartheid Movement in Britain and the civil rights movement in the United States. In 1960, the leader of the ANC, Albert Lutuli, won the Nobel Peace Prize, a feat that would be repeated in 1993 by Nelson Mandela for his actions in helping to negotiate peaceful transition after his release from prison.

Violent political resistance

Now underground or in exile, the ANC leadership concluded that the methods of non-violence such as those utilised by Gandhi against the British Empire during their colonisation of India, were not suitable against apartheid system. It was decided that military tactics had to be used, which primarily involved targeting and sabotaging the government's resources, with a wish to minimise the bloodshed of civilians. A military wing was formed in 1961, called Umkhonto we Sizwe, meaning "Spear of the Nation". However, Mandela, as its first leader, was arrested for terrorism in 1962 and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 on Robben Island, along with Sisulu and other ANC leaders after the Rivonia Trial.

During the 1970s and '80s the ANC, under the leadership of the exiled Oliver Tambo, engaged in a variety of militant attacks within South Africa, usually from bases in Botswana, Mozambique or Swaziland. Murder was occasionally used for political purposes. Tactics included car bombings as well as targeted assassinations. It has been alleged that people were tortured and detained without trial in ANC prison camps. During this same period, the South African military routinely engaged in a number of raids and bombings on ANC bases. Both groups would often kill innocent civilians with their tactics . Dulcie September, a member of the ANC who was investigating on arms trade between France and South Africa was assassinated in Paris in 1988.

As the years progressed, the ANC's attacks, coupled with international pressure and internal dissent, increased in South Africa. With the situation becoming ever more untenable, State President F.W. de Klerk unbanned the ANC and PAC on 2 February 1990.

Coming to power

In April 1994, in a tripartite alliance with the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the ANC won a landslide victory in the 1994 general election, and Nelson Mandela was elected the first President of South Africa.

In Kwa-Zulu Natal, the ANC maintained an uneasy coalition with the Inkatha Freedom Party after neither party won a majority in the 1994 and 1999 provincial elections.

In 2004, the party contested national elections in voluntary coalition with the New National Party (NNP), which it effectively absorbed following the NNP's dissolution in 2005.

After the 1994 and 1999 elections, it ruled seven of the nine provinces, with Kwa-Zulu Natal under the IFP and the Western Cape Province under the NNP. As of 2004, it gained both the Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal after a combination of the NNP's electoral base being eroded by the DA and a poor showing by the IFP.

By 2001, the tripartite alliance between the ANC, COSATU and SACP began showing signs of strain as the ANC moved to more liberal economic policies than its alliance partners were comfortable with. The focus for dissent was the GEAR program, an initialism for "Growth, Employment and Redistribution."

In late 2004, this was again thrown into sharp relief by Zwelinzima Vavi of COSATU protesting the ANC's policy of "quiet diplomacy" towards the worsening conditions in Zimbabwe, as well as Black Economic Empowerment, which he complained benefits a favoured few in the black elite and not the masses.

As of 2005, the alliance was facing a crisis as Jacob Zuma, who was fired from his position as Deputy President of South Africa by Thabo Mbeki, faced corruption charges. Complicating the situation was the fact that Zuma remained Deputy President of the ANC, and maintained a strong following amongst many ANC supporters, and the ANC's alliance partners In October 2005, top officials in the National Intelligence Agency, who were Zuma supporters, were suspended for illegally spying on an Mbeki supporter, Saki Macozoma, amid allegations that ANC supporters were using their positions within organs of state to spy on, and discredit each other^*." target="_blank" >In December 2005, Zuma was charged with rape and his position as Deputy President of the ANC was suspended. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200512070314.html

The ANC also faced (sometimes violent) protests in townships over perceived poor service delivery, as well as internal disputes, as local government elections approached in 2006. [http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=49&fArticleId=3074657.

Party List

Politicians in the party win a place in parliament by being on the Party List, which is drawn up before the elections and enumerates, in order, the party's preferred MPs. The number of seats allocated is proportional to the popular national vote, and this determines the cut-off point.

The ANC has also gained members through the controversial floor crossing process.

Key personalities within the ANC

Before 1948: John Dube, Sol Plaatje, Pixley ka Isaka Seme
1948 to 1994: Chris Hani, Ahmed Kathrada, Albert Lutuli, Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, Thabo Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Cyril Ramaphosa, Walter Sisulu, Joe Slovo, Robert Sobukwe, Oliver Tambo, Dulcie September
After 1994: Nelson Mandela, Sydney Mufamadi, Thabo Mbeki, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Tokyo Sexwale, Jacob Zuma

Criticism

During its days in exile, the ANC was often criticised by western governments who shared the South African government's characterization of the group as a terrorist organization. Several high-profile anti-Apartheid activists such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu criticized the ANC for its willingness to resort to violence, arguing tactics of non-violent resistance, such as civil disobedience were more productive. The ANC's willingness to ally with Communists was also the subject of both foreign and domestic criticism. Several hardline black nationalists were also critical of the ANC's willingness to embrace whites as equals, even allowing them to serve on the group's executive committee.

Archbishop Tutu in a 2004 speech criticized the Party List system as discouraging debate and encouraging patronage within the ANC. He also singled out business deals that favour the "recycled few" in Black Economic Empowerment deals instead of the poor majority.

Another accusation frequently levelled against the ANC is that they protect their high-ranking members in the face of controversy, and as such are seen as supporting criminal behaviour. Recent issues of this nature include the Schabir Shaik fraud trial linked to Deputy President Jacob Zuma, the sexual misconduct and criminal charges of Beaufort West municipal manager Truman Prince (see and the Oilgate scandal, in which millions of Rand in funds from a state-owned company were allegedly funneled into ANC coffers [http://www.mg.co.za/specialreport.aspx?area=oilgate. Links between factions in the ANC and businessman Brett Kebble gained media attention following Kebble's murder in September 2005.

References

External links

African National Congress official site
Response by the ANC General Secretary to COSATU's assessment, 2004
"Today it feels good to be an African" - Thabo Mbeki, Cape Town, 8 May 1996

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