About the First African National Congress President
The African National Congress (ANC) was founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANCC). The first ANC president was John Langalibalele Dube.
For a broader look at masculinity and identity, explore African Men: Identity, History & Culture.
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| First ANC President |
The first African National Congress president was John Langalibalele Dube born in now eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in the Inanda district on February 22, 1871.
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, Dube 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. 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.
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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.
Listing of Presidents of the ANC from the year 1871 to present day.
1912 to 1917 John Langalibalele Dube
1917 to 1924 Sefako Mapogo Makgatho.
1924 to 1927 Zacharias Richard Mahabane.
1927 to 1930 Josiah Tshangana Gumede.
1930 to 1936 Pixley ka Isaka Seme.
1937 to 1940 Zacharias Richard Mahabane.
1940 to 1949 Alfred Bitini Xuma.
1949 to 1952 James Sebe Moroka.
1952 to 1967 Albert John Lutuli.
1967 to 1991 Oliver Reginald Tambo.
1991 to 1997 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
1997 to 2007 Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki.
2007 to 2017 Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma.
2017 to current Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa.
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