The African National Congress (ANC) Foundation Day is observed annually on January 8 to commemorate the party's establishment in 1912.
Key Historical
Facts
- Founding Date: January 8, 1912.
- Original Name: Founded as the South
African Native National Congress (SANNC); it was renamed the African
National Congress in 1923.
- Founding Location: Bloemfontein, South
Africa.
- Founding Leaders: The primary founders
included John Langalibalele Dube (the first
president), Pixley ka Isaka Seme, and Sol Plaatje.
- Purpose: The movement was
created to unite African people and spearhead the struggle for fundamental
political, social, and economic change against racial segregation and the
dispossession of land.
Significance and
Modern Observance
- Oldest Movement: The ANC is the oldest
liberation movement in Africa.
- The January 8th Statement: It is a long-standing
tradition for the ANC President to deliver a major policy speech on this
day, known as the "January 8th Statement". This address outlines
the party’s priorities and vision for the coming year.
- Recent Anniversary: On January 8,
2026, the ANC marked its 114th anniversary. In the
preceding year (2025), the 113th anniversary was celebrated with a major
rally at Nelson Mandela Park in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.
- Current Status: Since South Africa's
first democratic elections in 1994, the ANC has been the governing party
of the Republic of South Africa. However, following the May 2024 general
elections, the party currently governs as part of a coalition Government
of National Unity after failing to secure an outright majority for the
first time.
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