TheCongress Alliance was an anti-apartheid political coalition formed inSouth Africa in the 1950s. Led by theAfrican National Congress, the CA was multi-racial in makeup and committed to the principle of majority rule.

The National Action Council was made up of executives of the African National Congress, theCommunist Party of South Africa, theSouth African Indian Congress (SAIC), theSouth African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), theColoured People's Congress (CPC) and theSouth African Congress of Democrats (COD) met inTongaat on 23 June 1955. This group, who became known as the Congress Alliance, developed the document known as theFreedom Charter and planned theCongress of the People, a large multi-racial gathering held over two days atKliptown on 26 June 1955. At this rally, the Charter was read out in three languages (English,Sotho andXhosa), and discussed by various delegates.^[1]

The Charter was the statement of core principles of the Alliance, which included a commitment to multi-racial democratic government and a fundamental restructuring of all aspects of South African Society.^[2][1][3] The Alliance was part of the ANC's efforts to promote a multi-racial anti-apartheid movement.^[4]

Other organisations associated with the Congress Alliance included theFederation of South African Women.^{[citation needed]}

In December 1956 many key members of the Alliance were arrested and charged with treason, including the entire executive committee of the ANC. 105Africans, 21Indians, 23whites (about half of whom wereSouth African Jews),^{[5]: 60–61} and 7Coloured members of the Congress Alliance were arrested. Many leaders, includingNelson Mandela, were detained in communal cells in Johannesburg Prison, resulting in "the largest and longest unbanned meeting of the Congress Alliance in years."^[6]

These arrests led to the1956 Treason Trial, which lasted until 1961 but led to the eventual acquittal of all charged.^[7]

• Tripartite Alliance

• Anti-apartheid organisations
• Defunct civic and political organisations in South Africa
• Defunct left-wing political party alliances
• History of the African National Congress
• National liberation movements
• Organisations associated with apartheid
• Political party alliances in South Africa
• United fronts

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