African National Congress Education in Exile in Tanzania, 1978-1992: Dilemmas and Ambiguities

Abstract

The opening of an educational institution by the African National Congress (ANC) in 1978 was a crucial step in the history of the organization. The very fact that a school is not at first sight an obviously 'political' entity implied that the ANC was bidding to lead and mould South African society in a comprehensive way, and signified that it was finally re-establishing itself as a major player in contemporary South African politics. The lull of the late sixties and early seventies had seen other organizations emerging to the fore in the ongoing political discourse. That the ANC had its headquarters and leaders outside the country made it seem far away in the eyes of ordinary people.