A Century of Struggle for the African National Congress

Abayomi Azikiwe (L) and Jesse Hooper after a South African Hero's Day Rally was held at New Bethel Baptist Church on December 16, 1984. The event featured two speakers from the African National Congress. (Photo: Pan-African News Wire)., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

A Century of Struggle for the African National Congress

Tens of thousands gather in Bloemfontein for mass rally marking centenary celebrations

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire

January 8, 2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the formation of the African National Congress (ANC), the continent’s oldest liberation movement and now the ruling party of the Republic of South Africa. The ANC took power in 1994 after decades of struggle against apartheid and settler-colonialism.

The centenary celebration rally was held in the city of Bloemfontein in the Free State where over 50,000 people jammed into the local stadium that had been upgraded to host one of the soccer matches held in South Africa during the 2010 World Cup matches. Current ANC leader and President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, delivered the keynote address at the conclusion of the rally.

Earlier in the day, heads-of-state and other dignitaries from various countries around Africa and the world attended a ceremony located at the Wesleyan church, the location where the organization was formed in 1912 during the height of colonialism and imperialism on the continent. A torch was lit designed to burn for the entire year to commemorate a milestone in the history of this once legalized racially-oppressive state.

In describing the preparations leading up the January 8 celebration, which will continue in various forms throughout the following year, the ANC Today newsletter pointed out that 100,000 people would be mobilized around the commemorations. The opening ceremonies also included a centenary golf day on January 6 as well as a dinner hosted by President Zuma on January 7.

ANC National Chairperson Baleka Mbete, who is also serving as the Chairperson of the National Centenary Task Team, wrote in the ANC Today that “”The importance and historic significance of this movement centenary has been acknowledged by non-other than the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. This movement is the legacy of stalwarts like John Langalibalele Dube, Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, Chief Albert Luthuli, Mama [Albertina] Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, OR Tambo and Lilian Ngoyi amongst others.” (ANC Today, Vol. 11, No. 48, 16-22 Dec. 2011)

Each month throughout the year will recognize the various leadership figures during the course of the organization’s history. In January, the first president of the ANC, uBaba uLangalibalele John Dube (Mafukuzela), who served between 1912-1917, will be honored.

Perhaps the most well-known past president of the ANC, Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela, who due to frail health was not able to attend the Bloemfontein events, will be honored in July under the theme of “Building a Caring Nation.” Mandela served over 27 years in the dungeons of South Africa as a political prisoner.

Mandela, whose imprisonment gained worldwide recognition for the liberation movement during the 1960s through the 1980s, was released in 1990 in order to lead the negotiations that resulted in the first non-racial democratic elections in 1994 that brought the ANC to power.

Since 1994, South Africa has had four ANC presidents: Nelson Mandela, (1994-1999), Thabo Mbeki, (1999-2008), Kgalema Motlanthe (2008-2009) and the current head-of-state, Jacob Zuma, who was elected to office in 2009. A party congress will convene in 2012 that will hold leadership elections in preparation for the 2014 national poll.

Mass, Labor and Armed Struggle Led to ANC Victory

As a result of the lucrative mining industry in South Africa, the country became one of the most repressive colonial territories in the world. Known for its vast wealth in gold and diamonds, South Africa developed as the most industrialized state on the continent.

Consequently the character of the national liberation struggle in South Africa differed in various respects from others within the region. The mining sector spawned a considerable manufacturing sector as well and by the 1920s, a huge labor movement would emerge.

In order to maintain the racially exploitative system, the ruling class sought to divide and super-exploit the African working class. Nonetheless, during the post-World War II period broad alliances would emerge that encompassed the majority African population in coalition with Indians, peoples of mixed race and progressive whites, many of whom were communists.

The South African Communist Party (SACP), formed in 1921, eventually recognized the indispensability of building a national liberation movement that was led by the African people. The Tripartite Alliance would emerge during the 1980s that brought together the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the SACP as well as the ANC.

It is this alliance that has maintained political control of the country since 1994. In addition to the role of domestic organizations, people of conscious and goodwill throughout the world contributed to the liberation struggle in South Africa.

The ANC and Internationalism

In recognition of this fact, ANC Today noted that “As part of our program in 2012 we will host an International Solidarity Conference where former anti-apartheid organizations and individuals throughout the world will converge on our soil to craft a way forward. We are also aware that at an ANC-led government level, our country will in May 2012 host a conference to be attended by the African Diaspora.”

Cuba as well is being recognized for its contribution to the liberation of Southern Africa, when it sent hundreds of thousands of its own internationalist volunteers to fight for the defeat of the racist South African Defense Forces in Angola between 1975-1988, resulting in the liberation of Namibia and the elimination of apartheid. Today Cuba maintains fraternal relations with the ANC and other liberation movements in Africa.

Justice Piitso wrote in the ANC Today that “We owe this milestone achievement to all progressive forces of the world that fought with us along the same path. It was indeed going to be a tantamount task to face and defeat apartheid without assistance and generosity of peace loving people of the world.” (ANC Today, Vol. 11, No. 48, 16-22 Dec. 2011)

This same article continues by pointing out that “The humane people of Cuba are amongst the many dear friends across the world that marched side by side with us during the epic periods of our struggles for the liberation and freedoms of our country and the continent. The solidarity work they advanced in defense of the people of our continent and the rest of the world would forever remain a symbol of hope and courage to mankind.”

South Africa and the Global Struggle Against Imperialism

Although the ascendancy of the ANC to power in 1994 represented a monumental victory against racism, national oppression and imperialism for the peoples of Africa and the world, the country still remains very much integrated within the world capitalist system. Therefore, the struggle of the working class there is still a tremendous force for the international proletariat around the globe.

South Africa’s working class is the largest and most organized on the continent. COSATU and other labor federations are fighting for a living wage and political empowerment for the working class inside the country.

Consequently, international finance capital is still working to maintain its grip over the majority of the population inside the country. South Africa has been seriously impacted by the current world economic crisis where unemployment and poverty remain major challenges for the ANC, COSATU and the SACP to address in the current period.

This global crisis in capitalist relations of production and ownership is also reflected in the escalation of western militarism in Africa. With the growing intervention of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) on the continent, the national liberation movements, progressive governments and working class organizations must intensify their struggle to defeat imperialism once and for all.

In Africa, the U.S., France and Britain have escalated their attacks with interventions in Libya, Somalia, Ivory Coast and other states. Neighboring Zimbabwe has been targeted for economic sanctions since 2000 when the ruling party sought to re-correct the legacy of colonialism with a massive land re-distribution program that allotted land to over 400,000 African families.

All of these efforts aimed at maintaining imperialist domination in Africa must be fought by the working class, farmers and youth of the continent in alliance with the genuine forces of progress throughout the world. It is this victory patterned on the historic struggle against apartheid that will ensure the total liberation of Africa from all forms of exploitation and oppression.