49th National Conference of the African National Congress

49th National Conference of the African National Congress
← 1991 17–22 December 1994 (1994-12-17 – 1994-12-22) 1997 →
2,719 party delegates
 
Candidate Nelson Mandela
Delegate vote Unopposed
President before election

Nelson Mandela

 Elected President

Nelson Mandela

The 49th National Conference of the African National Congress (ANC) was held from 17 to 22 December 1994 in Bloemfontein,[1] 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 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."[2] Attended by 2,719 voting delegates,[3] it was held at the University of the Free State, which Mandela said was remarkable, given that the university had "condemned [the ANC] as subversive, as treasonable" during apartheid.[4]

The conference preserved the outcomes of the 48th National Conference insofar as Mandela was re-elected unopposed[5] as President and Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected unopposed as Secretary General (despite rumours of a challenger);[2] however, the composition of the rest of the top leadership changed.[6] Thabo Mbeki, by then national Deputy President and ANC Chairperson, was elected unopposed to replace Walter Sisulu as ANC Deputy President, and parliamentary Chief Whip Arnold Stofile was elected unopposed to replace Thomas Nkobi as Treasurer General.[7] 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.[8] Jacob Zuma and Cheryl Carolus, respectively, were elected to those positions.[6]

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.[9] 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."[4] Mbeki had delivered similar admonishments the day before.[4]

  1. ^ "49th National Conference 1994". ANC. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Bloemfontein: ANC Taking Stock". Los Angeles Times. 13 December 1994. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Credential Report on Delegates". ANC. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "49th National Conference: Nelson Mandela's closing Address – ANC". Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. ^ Mabena, Lindiwe (11 December 2019). "This week in 1994: Democracy 25". SABC News. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "ANC shuffles its leaders" (PDF). Namibian. 21 December 1994. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  8. ^ "1994 Conference". Nelson Mandela: The Presidential Years. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  9. ^ Mandela, Nelson (17 December 1994). "Political Report of the NEC, to the 49th National Conference by President Nelson Mandela". ANC. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.