African National congress

The African National congress (or ANC for National African Congress in English) is a Political party of South Africa member of the Internationale Socialist. Created in 1912, with Bloemfontein to defend the interests of the black majority against the white domination, it was declared outlaw by the national Parti during the Apartheid in 1960. It is relégalisé in 1990 whereas apartheid is abolished in June 1991.

In 1994, the first multiracial elections take place making it possible Nelson Mandela to be elected president of the Republic of South Africa. Since, the ANC largely dominates the African southern political life (60 70% of the voices to the various general elections of 1994, 1999 and 2004).

He is member of the Internationale Socialist.

Foundation

The ANC constitutes the January 8th 1912 with Bloemfontein, two years after the creation of the Union of South Africa.

Its founders are the representatives of the churches and the coloured persons which seek to organize and unify together the various African people of South Africa in order to defend their rights and their freedoms within a dominated country, at the time, by a white minority Afrikaner S or of origin Britannique. The Indians until there members of the Native Indian Congresses and the Métis in favor of Sol Plaatje make then causes common with black intelligentsia composed journalists, teachers and lawyers to carry John Dube to the head of the organization.

The methods of protest or claim are then resolutely peaceful but starting from 1921, the emergence of a Communist party of South Africa preaching the inversion of the government and the Capitalisme by the Violence makes hatch within the ANC a debate on the relevance of the means used. In 1930, the attempt at toughening of the movement by its hardest elements fails and the reaffirmed peaceful line but the bonds with the Communist party of South Africa is formalized.

In 1931, the women can affiliate themselves with the ANC, the time when the government of the afrikaner James Barry Hertzog grants the Right to vote with the white women.

In 1944, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo found the league of youth of the ANC, more radical than its elder in its mode of expression, partisane of mass demonstrations to make yield the white political power.

In 1947, the ANC is combined with the Indian Congress of Native and the Indian Congress of the Transvaal in order to provide the common foundations of a formation linked in opposition to the government.

In 1948, the victory of the National Party Afrikaner of Daniel François Malan leads to the installation of the system of Apartheid. During the Years 1950, the coloured persons (mongrel of the Cape mainly) see themselves withdrawing their right to vote whereas the segregationist laws are reinforced.

The fight against discriminations and apartheid

In 1950, the Communist party is prohibited. Its members then put themselves to work with the ANC.

In June 1952, the ANC joint with other organizations anti-apartheid in a national campaign of distrust against the political, social and residential restrictions imposed to the coloured persons. This passive resistance campaign ends in April 1953 when new laws prohibit the political gatherings and demonstrations.

In June 1955, the Congress of the People, organized by in particular white ANC and other anti-apartheid groups, adopts in Kliptown, close to Johannesburg, the Charter of freedom (Freedom Charter), stating the fundamental bases of the claims of the coloured persons, calling with the equal rights some race.

The repression of the mode is done increasingly hard. Hundred fifty six members of the ANC and the organizations allied are stopped in 1956 then discharged five years later.

In 1959, many radicals of the ANC leave the movement to protest against its opening to the other races and form a concurrent nationalist organization, the Panafrican Congrès (CAP) directed by Robert Sobukwe.

In 1960, the black ANC and organizations are prohibited after the Massacre of Sharpeville. Nelson Mandela founds Umkhonto we Sizwe , " spearhead of Nation" , military wing of the ANC, charged to carry out actions of sabotage. The chief of the ANC, Albert Luthuli, at the end of the year obtains the Nobel Prize of peace.

In 1963, Mandela is stopped at Howick, small town located between Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, while Walter Sisulu and other eminent members of the party (of which Govan Mbeki, father of the current president) is stopped in a farm with Rivonia, located in the suburbs of Johannesburg. Oliver Tambo is the only survivor and takes the direction of the ANC in exile.

In 1964, Nelson Mandela, Walters Sisulu and several other leaders are condemned to the prison with perpetuity for high treason. They will be locked up mainly with Robben Island, with broad the of the Cape.

The ANC installs its general headquarter with London then in Tanzania and finally with Lusaka in Zambia in 1975. Camps of drive of Umkhonto we Sizwe are assembled in Tanzania, Angola and in other African countries. In 1969, with the congress of Morogoro, the ANC, decides to accommodate in its center the South-African ones of any race or ethnic origins (before, they were alliances with the friendly organizations).

Following the riots of Soweto in 1976, the ANC sends many militants to maintain the dispute against the white mode and of new recruits join Umkhonto we Sizwe. From 1977, the actions of sabotage of the latter are more and some of them, fatal.

Starting from 1979, the ANC and the various groups of oppositions to apartheid start to be organized within a plain democratic face (United Democratic Front - UDF) while the trade unions close to the ANC awake the social claims. On its side, Umkhonto we Sizwe carries out several spectacular actions like an attempt at Attentat against the Nuclear plant of Koeberg in 1982 and an attack in the central street of Pretoria in 1983 against a governmental building (19 killed, 217 wounded).

In 1981, the ANC widens the number of its representations in the Western countries, in particular with Paris. It organizes many campaigns then, as well in South Africa as abroad, around the charismatic figure of Nelson Mandela which had been somewhat forgotten in the Seventies with the profit of young radical chiefs like Steve Biko.

Starting from 1984, the Township S in boiling, are maintained by the ANC, the CAP and AZAPO and the trade union COSATU are organized to centralize the social claims. Umkhonto we Sizwe launches the Kletswayo operation in the rural areas of the Transvaal whose objective is to practice attacks targeted against the white farmers or to disseminate impersonal mines close to their farms as to Messina where those kill in December 1985 the family of a tourist afrikaner. The December 23rd 1985, Andrew Zondo, a young militant of the 19 years old ANC, explodes a Bombe in a Shopping mall of the Seaside resort of Amanzimtoti in the Native one (5 people killed, 40 wounded).

In 1985, at the time of its congress of Lusaka, the ANC democratizes its operating rules interns and makes public the 30 names of its executive committee of which the half are at the time member of the Communist party of South Africa like Joe Slovo, only white member of the supreme body and Head of State major d' Umkhonto we Sizwe. The party decides to adopt a more media step and meetings with South-African the nonaffiliated ones to the ANC are organized publicly whereas, discreetly, the first abstract discussions have place between representatives of the ANC and Piet de Lange, emissary of the South African president Pieter Botha.

The state of emergency is declared in 1986 while to the Natal, true a Civil war, maintained by the government, the ANC opposes to the movement preserving Zoulou of the Inkhata.

It is in 1986 that business men white of South Africa go to Lusaka to meet the direction of the ANC in order to foresee possibilities of negotiations.

In 1988, the South-African secret services of the civil Bureau of co-operation are implied in the assassination of representing ANC in Paris, Dulcie September. The ANC is then marked by the evolution of the international relations and the deterioration of its bonds with the Soviet Union. The party itself is divided between the partisans of Thabo Mbeki, favorable to negotiations with the government of Pretoria, and those of Chris Hani, successor of Slovo to the direction of Umkhonto we Sizwe, favorable to the intensification of the Armed struggle.

In August 1989, Alfred Nzo, assuming the interim of the presidency of the ANC, presents the peace plan of the party, incentive to the intensification of the international sanctions against South Africa, and the fact of adopting by the OAU but it is badly received by many leaders of the new administration of the US president George Bush which, although having granted an official representation of the ANC to Washington DC, is not far from regarding the movement as a Terrorist organization. It is at the same time that Frederik de Klerk arrives at the capacity to South Africa and promises basic changes.

In October 1989, the first gathering nonprohibited of the ANC by the South-African government is organized with Soweto in the complex of Soccer City, gathering 70.000 people.

In February 1990, Nelson Mandela is released from prison by the government of Frederik de Klerk which legalizes the prohibited ANC and the other formations. The constitutional negotiations on the future of South Africa start between the ANC, the government, the National Party and the other black or preserving movements. Nelson Mandela succeeds Tambo with the direction of the ANC in July 1991.

In June 1991, apartheid is abolished by the government of Frederik de Klerk. The continuation of the constitutional negotiations is validated by the White in March 1992.

In April 1993, Chris Hani, the chief of the Communist party combined with the ANC is assassinated by Janusz “Koba” Walus, a member of the Conservative party. The murder was financed by Clive Derby-Lewis, a former deputy of the party. Oliver Tambo dies of a Cancer.

In December 1993, Frederik de Klerk and Nelson Mandela see both allotted the Nobel Prize of peace.

The constitutional negotiations lead on a provisional constitution and the installation of a government of national unit for May 1994. New a flag with the colors combining the colors of the ANC (black, green, yellow) with those dominant of the old republics boers (red orange, white, blue) is adopted and the anthem of the ANC, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and that of Afrikaners, Die Stem van Suid Afrika, are joined together to form new the National anthem.

The April 27th 1994, the first elections multiracial give a clear victory to the ANC. The president of the party, Nelson Mandela, is elected president of the republic by the new Parliament whereas seven provinces out of nine are gained by the ANC.

With the capacity: the Mandela presidency

A government of national union is installation with the national party and the Zulu party Inkhata.

In 1996, once the adopted final constitution, the national party leaves the government and joined the benches of the opposition.

In 1997, Thabo Mbeki, the vice-president of South Africa, succeeds Mandela with the presidency of the ANC.

Presidency of Thabo Mbeki

In 1999, vice president Thabo Mbeki is elected president of the republic following the elections of June 1999.

In December 2000, the municipal elections are gained by the ANC which control 170 municipalities against 32 in Zulu Inkhata and 18 with the new democratic Alliance.

With the autumn 2001, the Nouveau national Party (National New Party - NP) breaks its alliance with the Democratic party for a new pact with the ANC.

In April 2004, the ANC again carries the legislative elections and new the provinces of the country while profiting from the support of NP in the province of the Cape-Westerner.

The August 7th 2004, the New national Party announces its fusion with the ANC and its final disappearance in September 2005. The rallying of the majority of the deputies NP with the ANC enables him to control 71% of the deputies at the assembly of South Africa and to reform with its will the constitution. The June 14th 2005, the vice-president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, is dismissed by president Mbeki following his implication in a politico-financial scandal.

Since this date, the tensions within the African National congress threaten cohesion of the movement and alliance with the COSATU and the Communist party. Suspected of corruption, the former vice-president, very popular within his party, affirms being victim of a plot, blames the operation of justice and compares the methods of the investigators to those used under apartheid.

The October 11th 2005, at the time of the appearance of Zuma in front of a court of Durban, its partisans were caught some with the services of the prosecutor whereas Tee-shirt with the effigy of Mbeki were burned outside the court.

The source of this crisis would be, for the left of the party, caused by the " libérale" derives; Mbeki government.

Personalities of the ANC

See too

South Africa , Number 45, collection differently, April 1990, p 154 - 156

External bonds

Official site of the party

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