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Wow! The ANC is 100 years old?

Yes, and a lot has changed since then. When the party was first formed, black South Africans were not even free to move around the country or own their own land.

So who are the ANC exactly?

The ANC stands for the African National Congress, the ruling party in South Africa. Its key objective was to create a united, non-racial, non-sexist democratic society in South Africa. The party is comprised of a tripartite alliance with the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions.

And how did they celebrate?

The official celebrations took place in Bloemfontein. It included three days of events cost the ruling party R100-million (almost £8 million).

Bloemfontein? I've never heard of that place.

It is actually one of South Africa's three capital cities, which is known for its flowers in an otherwise arid region. The other two are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, administrative capital. Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of the country.

And why did it take place there?

This was where the party was founded in 1912.

So what have the party been doing since 1912?

The ANC has had a very turbulent existence. It gained momentum during the 1950s when it co-operated with other organisations to begin a mass movement against apartheid called the Defiance Campaign. The ANC began its military action in the 1960s when Nelson Mandela was arrested, leading to 27 years incarceration. He was released in 1990.

Why was he released then?

The ANC claims they were 'unbanned' in February 1990 by the then ruling party the National Party, which led to the release of Mandela and 48 other political prisoners.  After renaming themselves as the New National Party, the National Party merged with the ANC in 2005.

How long have the ANC been in power?

They won in April 1994 after 62 per cent of the 22 million votes cast were in favour of the Mandela-led party. He remained president until June 1999, but the ANC has continued as the ruling party ever since.

So who is the president now?

Jacob Zuma became president in 2007. He used the celebrations as the platform to announce a major overhaul of the party. Amongst other changes, such as enhancing internal democracy and improving members' literacy, education and skills, Zuma proposed a more coherent communication strategy for the party.

Is that going to be an easy job?

Far from it. The ANC is a diverse organisation and includes some prominent individuals with very different standpoints such as socialists like Blade Nzimande, traditionalists such as Pallo Jordan and Juliua Malema, who is known for controversial and divisive statements. 

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