African National Congress Foundation Day 2022: History, Significance and Quotes

African National Congress Foundation Day is on January 8, 2022. The African National Congress was started on January 8, 1912, and its main goal was to unite all Africans as one people and protect their rights and freedoms. Find out more about the history of the African National Congress or how it came to be.

The African National Congress (ANC) was founded on January 8, 1912. Its main purpose was to bring Africans together and fight for their rights and freedoms.

The African National Congress is in charge of South Africa. They have been in charge since April 1994, when the country became a democracy.

How did the African National Congress get started?

It was a turning point in the history of Africa. It meant that centuries of exploitation and humiliation were coming to an end.

On January 8, 1912, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, the group was started as the South African Native National Congress (SANNC). Its goal was to fight for the rights of black South Africans, bring all Africans together as one people, and protect their rights and freedoms. That is to make sure that black and mixed-race South Africans have the right to vote. Also, to get rid of the apartheid system, which was put in place by the government after the National Party won the election in 1948.

African National Congress Foundation Day

People say that the ANC came together at a time when South Africa was changing very quickly. For example, diamonds were found in 1867 and gold in 1886. At that time, mine bosses wanted a lot of people to work in the mines for them. On the other hand, people were forced to leave their land because of laws and taxes. And the 1913 Land Act was the strictest law. It made it hard for Africans to buy, rent, or use land outside of the reserves.

The SANNC was leading a campaign against passes, which were forms of ID that black South Africans had to have by 1919. Then, around the middle of the 1920s, it took over.

In 1919, a general union called the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) was also formed. At the time, it was the most active and well-known group in both rural and urban areas. This union won some big victories through militant actions, but it couldn’t keep going and fell apart in the late 1920s.

In the 1920s, black workers also began to be organized by socialist groups. The Communist Party was made up of the International Socialist League and other groups in 1921.

The Communist Party was the first political group in South Africa that didn’t care about race. During the 1920s, the government got stricter and more racist. Because of this, a “color war” was started to stop black people from working in some industries in semi-skilled jobs. Also, black people who did simple jobs were paid low wages.

In 1923, SANNC changed its name to the African National Congress, and in 1929, it backed a violent strike by mine workers. During the early stages of the party’s formation, power struggles and a lack of resources led to a lack of political movement. Increasing repression and the consolidation of white minority rule gave the party new energy.

In 1961, the ANC and the SACP set up a military wing called uMkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation/MK). This was in response to Apartheid, which made it hard for Black people to speak out and punished political activists harshly when they did.

With MK’s help, ANC took part in the armed struggle and got help for its work from some African countries and the Soviet bloc. The apartheid government was forced to talk to the ANC because of growing discontent inside the country, pressure from other countries, and the fall of the Soviet Union. As a result, apartheid fell apart, and in 1994, democratic rule took over.

In 1991, at the National Conference of ANC, Nelson Mandela was chosen as President. Oliver Tambo was chosen as the National Chairman. From 1969 to 1991, he was the leader of the country. Tambo died in April 1993. He had worked for the ANC for his whole adult life.

In April 1994, the ANC held its first historic elections based on the idea that each person gets one vote. The first election was won by ANC with a huge majority. On May 10, 1994, Nelson Mandela was sworn in as the President of South Africa.