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National Executive Committee of the African National Congress

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) is the party's chief executive organ. It is elected every five years at the party’s national conference; the executive committee, in turn, elects a National Working Committee for day-to-day decision-making responsibilities.[1] At the NEC's head is the president of the ANC, and it also contains the other so-called "Top Seven" leaders (formerly "Top Six"): the deputy president, chairperson, secretary-general, two deputy secretaries-general and treasurer-general.

National Executive Committee of the African National Congress

Executive organ of the African National Congress

87

  • National Working Committee
  • National List Committee
  • Revolutionary Council (1969–83)
  • Politico-Military Council (1983–90)

5 years

The "Top Seven" (president, deputy president, national chairperson, secretary-general, two deputy secretaries-general, and treasurer-general);

Eighty further members;

Ex officio members, comprising two leaders from each of the , ANC Youth League, ANC Veterans' League, and nine ANC Provincial Executive Committees; and

ANC Women's League

Up to five additional co-opted members.

Members of the NEC must have been paid-up members of the ANC for at least five years prior to nomination, and at least half must be women.[2] The NEC consists of:[2]


The size of the elected NEC was increased to 56 members (including the Top Six) at the 48th National Conference in 1991, and then to 66 members (including the Top Six) at the 49th National Conference in 1994 – during apartheid, the NEC had been smaller and of a less consistent size, sometimes dropping below ten members.[3] It was enlarged again, to 86 members, at the 52nd National Conference in 2007, which also introduced the gender parity requirement, and further enlarged again to its current size of 87 members at the 55th National Conference with the introduction of a 2nd Deputy Secretary-General.[4][5][6] Another significant change has been the extension of the term of the NEC from three years to five years, following the resolution of the 1997 50th National Conference to reduce the frequency of national conferences to twice a decade.[7]

Subcommittees in exile[edit]

Revolutionary Council[edit]

In 1969, while based primarily in Tanzania, the NEC established the Revolutionary Council, which focused on both political and military aspects of the internal anti-apartheid struggle.[3] Notably, the Revolutionary Council included several leaders of the ANC's military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) – this in a period in which the NEC was limited to blacks ("Africans") only, while MK leadership (and thus the council) included several whites, Indians, and coloureds, especially from the Communist Party. Although it was located under the NEC, the council had considerable power.[11] From around 1976, it was responsible for two subordinate structures: the Internal Political Reconstruction Committee, focused on the South African political underground and internal propaganda, and MK Central Operations HQ, focused on internal armed struggle.[3]


The Revolutionary Council was chaired by ANC president Oliver Tambo throughout its lifespan, and other members included (with approximate dates):

The Top Seven;

Additional members, not exceeding one-quarter of the directly elected NEC (around twenty members); and

Three ex officio members, comprising one representative appointed by each of the , ANC Youth League, and ANC Veterans' League.

ANC Women's League

Membership in exile[edit]

National Executive Committee 1963–1969[edit]

In 1960, the ANC was banned in South Africa, and much of its leadership had been arrested, especially during the Treason Trial and later the Rivonia Trial. The ANC therefore set about re-establishing command structures in exile, from a new base in Tanzania.[3]

President:

Nelson Mandela

Deputy President:

Walter Sisulu

National Chairperson: (d. 1993), then Thabo Mbeki

Oliver Tambo

Secretary-General:

Cyril Ramaphosa

Deputy Secretary-General:

Jacob Zuma

Treasurer-General:

Thomas Nkobi

Provincial Executive Committees of the African National Congress

(2018 version)

ANC NEC

(2021 version)

ANC NEC