ANC

About the party

Formed on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein by leaders like John Langalibalele Dube, Pixley ka Isaka Seme, and Sol Plaatje, the party was first known as the South African Native National Congress. Renamed the African National Congress (ANC) in 1923, it became the leading organisation in the struggle against apartheid and is currently led by Cyril Ramaphosa. The ANC won dominant majorities in South Africa's local government elections since 1996 and has been the governing party in most local councils outside the Western Cape. In the 2016 municipal election, however, it suffered its worst electoral performance, losing outright majorities and control of key metropolitan councils including Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Nelson Mandela Bay to the opposition. After the 2021 election, the ANC was forced into minority or coalition agreements when it fell below the 50% threshold for the first time in a national democratic election, securing just 46% of the vote.