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The ANC and its use of history to build its brand

Ronald Irwin
University of Cape Town
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The ANC and its use of history to build its brand. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 39(1), 80-99. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v39i1.1531
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  • Submited: October 6, 2022
  • Published: October 6, 2022

Abstract

The African National Congress, South Africa’s ruling party since its liberation from apartheid in
1994, has one of the most compelling stories in modern political history. Few political parties
in the world have such a momentous, historically moving narrative; and few have used it to
such effect. The party has specialised in associating itself with the “collective memory” of the
South African people, ensuring that the ANC has been strongly associated with the South African
struggle narrative of the twentieth century. This is the heart of the “good story” that has kept the
ruling party in power since 1994 and made it very difficult for other political groupings to claim to
have played a major role in the struggle for freedom in South Africa.

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How to Cite
The ANC and its use of history to build its brand. (2022). Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa, 39(1), 80-99. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v39i1.1531

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