AN NC ), ▁its ▁primary ▁mission ▁was ▁to ▁bring ▁all ▁Afr icans ▁together ▁as ▁one ▁people , ▁to ▁defend ▁their ▁rights ▁and ▁fre ed oms . ▁This ▁included ▁giving ▁full ▁voting ▁rights ▁to ▁black ▁South ▁Afr icans ▁and ▁mixed - race ▁South ▁Afr icans ▁and , ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁on wards , ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁apart heid ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁National ist ▁Party ▁government ▁after ▁their ▁election ▁( by ▁White ▁vot ers ▁only ) ▁in ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁AN C ▁originally ▁attempted ▁to ▁use ▁non - vi ol ent ▁protest s ▁to ▁end ▁apart heid ; ▁however , ▁the ▁Sh ar pe ville ▁mass acre ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁in ▁which ▁ 6 9 ▁black ▁Afr icans ▁were ▁shot ▁and ▁killed ▁by ▁police ▁and ▁hundreds ▁wounded ▁during ▁a ▁peace ful ▁protest , ▁contributed ▁to ▁d eter ior ating ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁government . ▁On ▁ 8 ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁Charles ▁Rob berts ▁Sw art ▁b anned ▁the ▁AN C ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁After ▁the ▁ban , ▁the ▁AN C ▁formed ▁the ▁Um kh onto ▁we ▁S iz we ▁( Spe ar ▁of ▁the ▁Nation ) ▁to ▁fight ▁against ▁apart heid ▁util ising ▁gu err illa ▁war fare ▁and ▁sab ot age . ▁ ▁After ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁of ▁ex iled ▁struggle , ▁during ▁which ▁many ▁AN C ▁members ▁had ▁been ▁imprison ed ▁or ▁forced ▁abroad , ▁the ▁country ▁began ▁its ▁move