Delegates gathered at the Wesleyan School in Waaihoek, Bloemfontein, and established the South African Native National Congress (SANNC), later renamed the African National Congress. John Langalibalele Dube became its first president; Sol Plaatje became secretary and Seme treasurer. The organisation sought to unite African people and defend their rights under a political order that denied the Black majority equal citizenship. Its early strategy relied heavily on petitions, deputations and constitutional argument, while mass movements and local resistance continued alongside it.
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What was a central reason for forming the SANNC in 1912?
The Union entrenched white political rule and multiple regional bodies sought a coordinated national voice.
The SANNC was founded in Bloemfontein on 8 January 1912.
The founding meeting took place at Waaihoek, Bloemfontein, on 8 January 1912.