The African National Congress (ANC) was founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANCC). The first African National Congress (ANC) president was John Langalibalele Dube. The African National Congress (ANC) is South Africa's governing party.
Article Topics
ANC, SANCC, John Langalibalele Dube
About the First ANC President
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| First ANC President |
The first African National Congress (ANC) president was John Langalibalele Dube
was born in now eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in the Inanda district on
February 22, 1871. The African National Congress was founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANCC).
Dube
whose nickname was “Mafukuzela” was an educator, minister, politician, author,
and activist. He was the son of the low ranking Zulu chief Reverend James Dube
one of the first ordained pastors of the American Zulu Mission.
At the age of 16, in 1887, he accompanied
missionaries to the United States of America, where he studied at Oberlin
College while working his way through school however, despite his hard work due
to the lack of money, he never received an official degree. Nevertheless, the
talents that he nurtured during these Oberlin years laid the foundations for
his future endeavors.
In 1897 when Dube returned to the United States
he enrolled at the Union Missionary Seminary in Brooklyn, in New York and in
March 1899, Dube was ordained as a priest by the Congregational Church. On August
8, 1900, Dube and his first wife Nokutela Dube established the Ohlange
institute on 200 acres of land in the Inanda district with 63 male students.
Chief Mqhawe of the AmaQadi donated the land on
which Ohlange institute was built. The Ohlange institute became the first
Black-directed institution and rivaled Tuskegee Institute. The imposition of
apartheid had a negative impact on the school.
In 1953, the government passed the Bantu
Education Act that had a negative impact on Ohlange institute resulting in its
decline. When apartheid eventually collapsed and the first democratic elections
were held in 1994, Nelson Mandela chose to cast his vote at Ohlange.
Around 1903, Dube began the first Zulu newspaper
Ilanga lase Natal or Sun of Natal. In 1912, John Langalibalele Dube was a founder member and first
president of the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), which was
renamed as the African National Congress (ANC) in 1923. He died in Durban near
his birthplace of Inanda on February 11, 1946.
Who is the The African National Congress (ANC)
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| ANC |
The African National Congress (ANC) is South
Africa's governing party and has been in power since the transition to
democracy in April 1994. The organisation was initially founded as the South
African Native National Congress on January 8, 1912 in Bloemfontein,
with the aim of fighting for the rights of black South Africans.
As a result of the establishment of apartheid,
its aversion to dissent by Black people and brutal crackdown of political
activists, the ANC together with the SACP formed a military wing, uMkhonto we
Sizwe renamed Spear of the Nation/ MK in 1961.
The apartheid government was forced to enter into negotiations with the
ANC. This saw the collapse of apartheid and the ushering in of democratic rule
in 1994.
The current ANC President is Cyril Ramaphosa who was elected president at the 54th National Conference in 2017. His term
of office will expire in December 2022 when the 55th National Conference will
elect a new president.
Presidents of the ANC
1912 – 1917 John Langalibalele Dube (1871–1946)
1917 – 1924 Sefako Mapogo Makgatho (1861–1951)
1924 – 1927 Zacharias Richard Mahabane
(1881–1971)
1927 – 1930 Josiah Tshangana Gumede (1870–1947)
1930 – 1936 Pixley ka Isaka Seme (1882–1951)
1937 – 1940 Zacharias Richard Mahabane
(1881–1971)
1940 – 1949 Alfred Bitini Xuma (1890–1962)
1949 – 1952 James Sebe Moroka (1891–1985)
1952 – 1967 Albert John Lutuli (1898–1967)
1967 – 1991 Oliver Reginald Tambo (1917–1993)
1991 – 1997 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918–2013)
1997 – 2007 Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (1942)
2007–2017 Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (1942)
2017– Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (1952)
