African National Congress
Founded on 8 January 1912 by John Langalibalele Dube in Bloemfontein as the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), its primary mission was to give voting rights to black and mixed-race Africans and, from the 1940s, to end apartheid. The ANC originally attempted to use nonviolent protests to end apartheid, however, the Sharpeville massacre resulted in the deaths of 69 black Africans and contributed to deteriorating relations with the South African government. On 8 April 1960, the administration of Charles Robberts Swart, banned the ANC and forced the party to leave South Africa. After the ban, the ANC formed the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) to fight against apartheid utilizing guerrilla warfare and sabotage. On 3 February 1990, State President F. W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC and released Nelson Mandela on 11 February 1990. On 17 March 1992, the apartheid referendum was passed by the voters removing apartheid and allowing the ANC to run in the 1994 election. Since the 1994 election the ANC has performed better than 60% in all general elections, including the most recent 2014 election.
Thomas Mtobi Mapikela
The 12-roomed Mapikela House is situated on stand number 22093 in Batho Location in Bloemfontein. It is situated at the corner of Community and Makgothi Streets. This house became the meeting place for the ANC as well as the community. On the rising of the step leading to the front door of the house, partially hidden by a second step, is the inscription ‘Ulundi-Kaya’ which literally means the ‘horizon house’. For a while, it was believed that Mapikela House was the founding venue of the ANC. However, research has concluded that this was not so. As the house in Batho was only built several years after the founding of the ANC, it is decidedly not the founding venue of the ANC. The house was built between 1923 and 1926.