SUMMARY

The supporters of ANC were members or followers of the ANC (African National Congress), which was the most powerful and prominent anti-apartheid movement to emerge in response to South Africas policy of apartheid (i.e. racial separation). The ANC was founded in 1924, replacing the SANNC (South African Native National Congress), with the expressed goal of increasing the rights of the black inhabitants of what was then the Union of South Africa. When the NP (Nationale Partij, National Party) government began to entrench apartheid more firmly in 1948 the struggle turned into one of giving non-whites in South Africa full political franchise, which was denied through the harsh laws of racial segregation. The ANC, in addition to opposing apartheid, ascribed to a socialist political ideology. In 1961 the ANC established its armed wing, the MK (Umkhonto we Sizwe, Spear of the Nation), which was to wage an armed struggle and a campaign of destabilisation in order to attain the goals of the ANC. The armed struggle was not a strategy detached from the overall mass political struggle, but instead served to complement it.

While the ANC was in a conflict with the government over an end to Apartheid, its supporters were involved in many conflicts with supporters of other political organisations in South Africa over how Apartheid should be ended. Different organisations had different views on how this should be accomplished, leading to violent conflicts. The supporters of ANC were loosely organised, and formed different groups in different regions of South Africa. They based their beliefs loosely on those of the ANC, but often also on a strong sense of tradition. In that spirit, most of the events in which the supporters of the ANC were involved were not directly linked to the ANC as a political party, or even to the ANC in conflict with the NP. While the leaders of the ANC did not always aim to prevent their followers from instigating violence, often violence continued on a local level while on a national level the leaders of the ANC had called for peace.

The most famous leader of the ANC, who was also head of the MK, was Nelson Mandela, who went on to become president of South Africa after the transition to majority rule. Well-known leaders of the ANCs main organisation have been Oliver Thambo, Alfred Nzo and Thomas Nkobi. Prominent leaders of the MK were Chris Hani, who was killed in the 1990s by white rightwing organisation AWB (Afrikaner Resistance Movement), and Joe Slovo. The supporters of ANC were often led by youth groups or regional and local leaders.

The supporters of ANC have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.