▁towards ▁full ▁dem ocracy . ▁On ▁ 3 ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁State ▁President ▁F . ▁W . ▁de ▁K ler k ▁lifted ▁the ▁ban ▁on ▁the ▁AN C ▁and ▁released ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela ▁from ▁prison ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁apart heid ▁refer endum ▁was ▁passed ▁by ▁the ▁white ▁only ▁elect or ate , ▁removing ▁apart heid ▁and ▁allowing ▁the ▁AN C ▁to ▁run ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁election , ▁which ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁allowed ▁all ▁South ▁Afr icans ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁their ▁national ▁government . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁election ▁the ▁AN C ▁has ▁performed ▁better ▁than ▁ 5 5 % ▁in ▁all ▁general ▁elections , ▁including ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁election . ▁However ▁the ▁party ▁has ▁been ▁em bro iled ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁controvers ies ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁S AN NC ▁was ▁in ▁direct ▁response ▁to ▁in just ice ▁against ▁black ▁South ▁Afr icans ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁then ▁in ▁power . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁S AN NC ▁had ▁its ▁orig ins ▁in ▁a ▁pron oun cement ▁by ▁P ix ley ▁ka ▁Is aka ▁S eme ▁who ▁said ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁" For get ▁all ▁the ▁past ▁differences ▁among ▁Afr icans ▁and ▁un ite ▁in ▁one