South African Congress of Democrats

[2] The establishment of the COD sought to illustrate opposition to apartheid among whites.

The COD identified closely with the ANC and advocated racial equality and universal suffrage.

Though small, COD was a key organization of the Congress Alliance.

The COD took part in every Congress Alliance campaign until it was banned by the South African Apartheid government in September 1962.

Moreover, as Nelson Mandela wrote, "The COD served an important symbolic function for Africans; blacks who had come into the struggle because they were anti-white discovered that there were indeed whites of goodwill who treated Africans as equal.