Founded on 8 January 1912 byJohn Langalibalele DubeinBloemfonteinas theSouth African Native National Congress (SANNC), its primary mission was to give voting rights to black and mixed-race Africans and, from the 1940s, to endapartheid.The ANC originally attempted to use nonviolent protests to end apartheid, however, theSharpeville massacreresulted in the deaths of 69 black Africans and contributed to deteriorating relations with the South African government. On 8 April 1960, the administration ofCharles Robberts Swart, banned the ANC and forced the party to leave South Africa.After the ban, the ANC formed theUmkhonto we Sizwe(Spear of the Nation) to fight against apartheid utilizingguerrilla warfareand sabotage. On 3 February 1990, State PresidentF. W. de Klerklifted the ban on the ANC and releasedNelson Mandelaon 11 February 1990.On 17 March 1992, theapartheid referendumwas passed by the voters removing apartheid and allowing the ANC to run in the 1994 election. Since the 1994 election the ANC has performed better than 60% in all general elections, including the most recent2014 election.