ANC Consultative Conference comes to an end

The African National Congress (ANC) Consultative Conference, which was held in Johannesburg following the Organisation's unbanning, came to conclusion. It was the first party conference held within South Africa in thirty-one years and was opened by ANC president Oliver Tambo. The Conference, which lasted three days and was attended by 1,600 delegates, mandated the National Executive Committee to "serve notice on the regime that unless all the obstacles are removed on or before 30 April 1991, the ANC shall consider the suspension of the whole negotiation process" and announced that 1991 would be a "year of mass action". It rejected a call to relax international sanctions against South Africa and approved the creation of "defence units" to protect townships residents. Click here to read the report of the conference.