One Hundred Years of the ANC: Debating Liberation Histories Today (Paperback)

On 8 January 2012 the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, the oldest African nationalist organization on the continent, celebrated its 100th anniversary and this historic event generated significant public debate within both the ANC and South African society at large.

Critically reflecting on the ANC’s historical trajectory and struggle against colonialism and apartheid than in its centennial year, this is a collection of new work by renowned South African and international scholars. Covering a broad chronological and geographical spectrum and using a diverse range of sources, the contributors build upon but also extend the historiography of the ANC by tapping into marginal spaces in ANC history.

By moving away from the celebratory mode that has characterized much of the contemporary discussions on the centenary, the contributors suggest that the relationship between the histories of earlier struggles and the present needs to be rethought in more complex terms.

Collectively, the book chapters challenge hegemonic narratives that have become an established part of South Africa’s national discourse since 1994. By opening up debate around controversial or obscured aspects of the ANC’s century-long history, One Hundred Years of the ANC sets out an agenda for future research.