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ON January 8, 1912, a group of African chiefs and community leaders gathered in a small red brick church in Waaihoek, Bloemfontein and formed the South African Native National Congress, renamed the African National Congress (ANC) in 1923. One hundred years on and die church is still standing. It was bought by die Soutii African government in 2011 with a view to turning it into a national museum, and underwent some rapid renovations in order that it could play host to a prayer service, the most moving and symbolic event in a weekend of celebrations marking die ANCs centenary. Other events included an exclusive golf tournament, a lavish gala dinner for 1,500 dignitaries, and a raucous stadium rally for 100,000 of the party faithful.
Dozens of heads of state flew in to attend die celebrations, together with a small army of journalists from around the world. But rather than being swept up in the festivities, the foreign press corps managed to keep what could politely be called a professional distance. Indeed, what was striking about the international media reports of the centenary was how universally negative they were. Virtually all contained significant levels of criticism of the current state of South Africa's governing party, pointing to problems of corruption and infighting, arrogance and failure. Time Magazine looked at 'How die ANC Lost Its Way', whilst an editorial in The Guardian offered few good wishes for 'The ANCs Unhappy Birthday'. Aldiough partially balanced with acknowledgement of die party's epic triumph over apartheid and references to the ANCs numerous achievements since coming to power in 1994, the narrative was surprisingly uniform: that of unfulfilled potential.
This is a far cry from the way in which the ANC was once viewed internationally and by the majority of South Africans. Perhaps today's disappointment and disparagement results partly from the very fact that the ANC was once so loved and admired. Could the accepted wisdom of ANCs 'fall from grace' have been forged in a fire of unrealistic expectations? Or, with the ANCs membership continuing to swell, growing by over 50 per cent between 2007 and 201 1 and now topping one million, might die accepted narrative be missing something?
Back in the early 1990s, the newly unbanned ANC was...
