Nelson Mandela used to be the South African President.
The African National Congress ( ANC ) is the Republic of South Africa 's governing social democratic political party . It has been the ruling party of post-apartheid South Africa on the national level , beginning with the election of Nelson Mandela in the 1994 election , the first after the end of apartheid . Nelson Mandela . Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist , he served as President of the African National Congress ( ANC ) party from 1991 to 1997 .