African National Congress

The African National Congress (ANC) is a centre-left political party, and has been South Africa's governing party (in a coalition) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. Originally called the South African Native National Congress until 1923, it was founded to defend the rights of the black majority on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein, and counted John Dube (its first president) and poet and author Sol Plaatje among its founder members.

Coming to power

In April 1994, in a tripartite coalition 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 appointed the first President of South Africa.

Related Topics:
1994 - South African Communist Party - Congress of South African Trade Unions - 1994 general election - Nelson Mandela - President of South Africa

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In Kwa-Zulu Natal, the ANC was in an uneasy coalition with the Inkatha Freedom Party for both the 1994 and 1999 provincial elections. However, in the 2004 election, the IFP contested the province with the Democratic Alliance.

Related Topics:
Kwa-Zulu Natal - Inkatha Freedom Party - 1994 - 1999 - 2004 election - Democratic Alliance

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In 2004, the party contested national elections in voluntary coalition with the New National Party, which it effectively absorbed in 2005.

Related Topics:
2004 - New National Party - 2005

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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.

Related Topics:
1994 - 1999 - Kwa-Zulu Natal - Western Cape Province - 2004

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

Related Topics:
2001 - GEAR - Initialism

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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.

Related Topics:
2004 - Zwelinzima Vavi - Zimbabwe - Black Economic Empowerment

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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.

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

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Other sources of funding

In the late 1990s, the Saudi king Fahd bin Abdul Aziz gave the African National Congress US$50 million.

Related Topics:
1990s - Saudi - Fahd bin Abdul Aziz

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