The
Northern Rhodesia Congress (
NRC), also known as the
Northern Rhodesia African Congress (
NRAC), was formed in July 1948, at the second congress of the Northern Rhodesia Federation of Welfare Societies.
Godwin Lewanika, a
Barotseland native from an
aristocratic background, became the first president. It was the first African political party in the country. NRC had its roots in the
Federation of Welfare Societies, active between 1940 and 1946. In 1958 the party was divided on whether to participate in the
1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, in which only a minority of the black population was allowed to vote. The more
radical Kaunda broke away, and formed the
Zambia African National Congress, which was banned in 1959. The NRANC won a single seat in the elections. In the
1962 general elections the party won seven seats, becoming the third-largest faction in the Legislative Assembly and held the balance of power. Prior to the elections Nkumbula had made a secret electoral pact with the
United Federal Party, but decided to form a government with the
United National Independence Party. The party won ten seats in the
1964 general elections, and following independence, was renamed the
Zambian African National Congress. Nkumbula ran for president in the
1968 general elections, finishing second to Kaunda with 18% of the vote. The party won 23 of the 110 seats in the
National Assembly, remaining the main
opposition party. In 1973 the party was banned, as the country became a one-party state. == References ==