What was Nelson Mandela’s ANC position when he became president of the organization in 1991?

Nelson Mandela became president of the African National Congress at the organization’s 1991 national conference.

The ANC elected Mandela as its president at the 48th National Conference, held in Durban in July 1991. Oliver Tambo, who had led the movement during much of Mandela’s imprisonment, became national chairperson after returning from exile.

Mandela’s election placed him at the center of negotiations with the South African government over the country’s political future. He led the ANC during the difficult transition that produced the 1994 democratic election and then became South Africa’s president.

This ANC office should not be confused with South Africa’s state presidency. Mandela held the ANC presidency before becoming the country’s first democratically elected president in 1994, while Walter Sisulu had previously served as the ANC’s secretary-general.