African National Congress (ANC)

            Why in news?

  Today, the ANC remains the dominant political party in South Africa,  winning every election   since 1994.

  Jacob Zuma ,the incumbent head of state and ANC leader since 2007, was  replaced as the     ANC's chief by South Africa's deputy president  Cyril  Ramaphosa on 18 December 2017.

            Background

  Founded on 8 January 1912 by  John Langalibalele Dube in  Bloemfontein  as the South    African Native National Congress, its primary mission was to  give voting rights to black and  mixed race Africans and, from the 1940s, to  end Apartheid.

 The ANC originally attempted to use nonviolent protests to end apartheid,  however,  the  Sharpeville massacre resulted in the deaths of 69 black  Africans and contributed to  deteriorating relations with the South African  government.

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 On 8 April 1960, the administration of Charles Robberts Swart ,banned the  ANC and forced  the party to leave South Africa. 

 After the ban, the ANC formed the  UmKhonto weSizwe(Spear of the  Nation) to fight against  apartheid utilizing  guerrilla warfare and sabotage.

 On 3 February 1990, State President  F.W.de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC  and  released  Nelson Mandela on 11 February 1990.

 On 17 March 1992, the  apartheid referendum was passed by the voters  removing apartheid  and allowing the ANC to run in the 1994 election.

 Since the 1994 election the ANC has performed better than 60% in all  general elections,  including the most recent 2014 election.

 The African National Congress (ANC) is the Republic of south Africa’s  governing social  democratic political party. It has been the ruling party of    post-apartheid South Africa on  the national level, beginning with the  election of  Nelson Mandela in the 1994 election, the  first after the end of  apartheid.

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