The 49th National Conference of the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

(ANC) was held from 17 to 22 December 1994 in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...

, the city in which the ANC was founded. The conference took place several months after the South Africa's first democratic elections, at which the ANC had won 62.65% of the national vote and incumbent ANC President

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

had been elected national President. It was therefore the ANC's first national conference as a ruling party, and only its second national conference since its unbanning in 1990. The theme of the conference was "From Resistance to Reconstruction and Nation-Building." Attended by 2,719 voting delegates, it was held at the

University of the Free State The University of the Free State is a multi-campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State (province), Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It was first established as an institution of higher learning in ...

, which Mandela said was remarkable, given that the university had "condemned he ANCas subversive, as treasonable" during

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

. The conference preserved the outcomes of the 48th National Conference insofar as Mandela was re-elected unopposed as President and

Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...

was re-elected unopposed as Secretary General (despite rumours of a challenger); however, the composition of the rest of the top leadership changed.

Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki KStJ (; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who was the second president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ...

, by then national Deputy President and ANC Chairperson, was elected unopposed to replace

Walter Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (18 May 1912 – 5 May 2003) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). Between terms as ANC Secretary-General (1949–1954) and ANC Deputy President (1991–1994), h ...

as ANC Deputy President, and parliamentary Chief Whip Arnold Stofile was elected unopposed to replace Thomas Nkobi as Treasurer General. Sisulu, aged 82, had declined to stand for a second term, and Nkobi had died in September. There was contestation around only two positions: National Chairperson and Deputy Secretary General.

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...

and

Cheryl Carolus Cheryl Carolus (born 27 May 1958) is a South African politician. She was born in Silvertown, on the Cape Flats, Cape Town. Carolus became involved in politics while still at school and became an activist after joining the United Democratic Fro ...

, respectively, were elected to those positions. In his opening remarks, Mandela reflected upon the journey the ANC had taken to become "the majority organisation in the first ever democratically-elected government" of South Africa. At the conclusion of his closing remarks, however, he chastised some attendees for their "disgraceful behaviour," referring to them as "men who have been infiltrated into our organisation by the enemy to tarnish our image." Mbeki had delivered similar admonishments the day before.

Leadership elections

The following were elected to the ANC "Top Six" leadership positions at the conference: * President:

* Deputy President:

* Secretary General:

* Deputy Secretary General:

* National Chairperson:

* Treasurer General: Arnold Stofile In an electoral contest over the office of National Chairperson,

, the outgoing Deputy Secretary General, won comfortably against

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

Ministers

Pallo Jordan Zweledinga Pallo Jordan (born 22 May 1942) is a South African politician. He was a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, and was a cabinet minister from 1994 until 2009. Early life Jordan is the son of th ...

and Jeff Radebe. The results of the vote were as follows: The only other Top Six position to go to a vote was that of Deputy Secretary General. Sankie Mthembi-Nkondo was understood to be Mandela preferred candidate for Deputy Secretary General, and was also supported by Mbeki and Zuma, but lost "decisively" against the more left-wing candidate,

. There was also initially a contest for the position of Treasurer General, but Arnold Stofile was elected unopposed after Henry Makgothi and Sam Motsuenyane withdrew their candidacy. The ''

Mail & Guardian The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cult ...

'' reported that Mandela had backed Motsuenyane, and some had viewed Makgothi as the frontrunner.

National Executive Committee elections

The National Executive Committee was also elected at the conference. Of the 60 members ultimately elected, the following received the most votes: # Bantu Holomisa (1,915 votes) #

(1,879 votes) #

Peter Mokaba Peter Mokaba, OLG (7 January 1959 – 9 June 2002) was a member of the South African parliament, deputy minister in the government of Nelson Mandela and president of the South African governing party's youth wing, the ANC Youth League. The P ...

(1,824 votes) #

Mac Maharaj Sathyandranath Ragunanan "Mac" Maharaj (born 22 April 1936 in Newcastle, Natal) is a retired South African politician affiliated with the African National Congress, academic and businessman of Indian origin. He was the official spokesperson ...

(1,818 votes) #

Winnie Mandela Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (born Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela; 26 September 1936 – 2 April 2018), also known as Winnie Mandela, was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician, and the second wife of Nelson Mandela. She ser ...

(1,802 votes) # Sydney Mufamadi (1,769 votes) # Terror Lekota (1,732 votes) #

Valli Moosa Mohammed Valli Moosa (born 8 February 1957 in Johannesburg) is a retired South African politician who was active in the United Democratic Front. Political career In the early 1990s, he participated for the ANC in the negotiations to end apart ...

(1,725 votes) #

Harry Gwala Themba Harry Gwala (30 July 1920 – 20 June 1995) was a revolutionary leader in the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party (SACP) in South Africa. Biography Early career and activism Harry Gwala trained as a teac ...

(1,685 votes) # Dullah Omar (1,680 votes) #

Ronnie Kasrils Ronald Kasrils (born 15 November 1938) is a South African politician, Marxist revolutionary, guerrilla and military commander. He was Minister for Intelligence Services from 27 April 2004 to 25 September 2008. He was a member of the National ...

(1,677 votes) #

Steve Tshwete Steve Vukhile Tshwete (12 November 1938 in Springs, Transvaal – 26 April 2002 in Pretoria, Gauteng) was a South African politician and activist with the African National Congress. Involved in Umkhonto we Sizwe, Tshwete was imprisoned by the ap ...

(1,663 votes) #

Joe Slovo Joe Slovo (born Yossel Mashel Slovo; 23 May 1926 – 6 January 1995) was a South African politician, and an opponent of the apartheid system. A Marxist-Leninist, he was a long-time leader and theorist in the South African Communist Pa ...

(1,651 votes) #

Tito Mboweni Tito Titus Mboweni (born 16 March 1959) is a South African politician who served as Minister of Finance of South Africa in the government of President Cyril Ramaphosa from 2018 to 2021. Mboweni was the eighth Governor of the South African Rese ...

(1,640 votes) #

Ahmed Kathrada Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada (21 August 1929 – 28 March 2017), sometimes known by the nickname "Kathy", was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist. Kathrada's involvement in the anti-apartheid activities of the African National Con ...

(1,601 votes) # Jeff Radebe (1,596 votes) #

Trevor Manuel Trevor Andrew Manuel (born 31 January 1956) is a South African politician who served in the government of South Africa as Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2009, during the presidencies of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, and ...

(1,594 votes) # Nkosazana Zuma (1,557 votes) #

Kader Asmal Abdul Kader Asmal (8 October 1934 – 22 June 2011) was a South African politician. He was a professor of human rights at the University of the Western Cape, chairman of the council of the University of the North and vice-president of the ...

(1,503 votes) # Carl Niehaus (1,488 votes) Some anti-apartheid stalwarts dropped off the NEC, either because they did not seek re-election or because they had been appointed to state offices which precluded them from party leadership. These included

Andrew Mlangeni Andrew Mokete Mlangeni (6 June 192521 July 2020), also known as Percy Mokoena, Mokete Mokoena, and Rev. Mokete Mokoena, was a South African political activist and anti-apartheid campaigner who, along with Nelson Mandela and others, was imprison ...

Albertina Sisulu Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu ( Thethiwe; 21 October 1918 – 2 June 2011) was a South African anti-apartheid activist, and the wife of fellow activist Walter Sisulu (1912–2003). She was affectionately known as "Ma Sisulu" throughout her li ...

Albie Sachs Albert "Albie" Louis Sachs (born 30 January 1935) is a South African lawyer, activist, writer, and former judge appointed to the first Constitutional Court of South Africa by Nelson Mandela. Early life and education Albie Sachs was born on ...

and John Nkadimeng. Notably, the top-ranked candidate, Holomisa, was a new addition to the NEC.

Resolutions

The conference passed motions for the urgent transformation of the South African state, with particular attention given to the civil service, judiciary system, media and policing. It also reaffirmed several central party and government policies, including the 1992 Ready to Govern policy, the 1994

Reconstruction and Development Programme Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) is a South African socio-economic policy framework implemented by the African National Congress (ANC) government of Nelson Mandela in 1994 after months of discussions, consultations and negotiations ...

, and the Health Plan on

national health insurance National health insurance (NHI), sometimes called statutory health insurance (SHI), is a system of health insurance that insures a national population against the costs of health care. It may be administered by the public sector, the private sector ...

. Perhaps the greatest undertaking of the conference was a set of wide-ranging amendments to the ANC constitution, including a substantial restructuring of the organisation to adapt to the post-apartheid era. For example, the fourteen regional branches represented in the party were reconstituted as nine provincial branches, each with their own subregions and branches. The conference resolved to increase the size of the NEC to 66 members (including the Top Six), and also to reduce the size of the National Working Committee to the Top Six and no more than a quarter of the elected NEC members. It also committed in principle to ensuring adequate representation of women in decision-making structures, and resolved to consider gender quotas (which were later implemented).

References

External links

AP footage of the conference
{{National Conference of the African National Congress National Conferences of the African National Congress

National Conference of the African National Congress The National Conference of the African National Congress is a party congress that is held every five years. It elects members to the National Executive Committee, the party's highest decision-making body, as well as the "Top Six" leaders of the Na ...