Why did ANC decide to use violence?

The African National Congress (ANC) decided to adopt violence as a tactic in the early 1960s primarily in response to the increasing repression and brutality of the apartheid regime in South Africa. After years of peaceful protests and negotiations yielded little progress towards ending racial discrimination, the ANC concluded that armed struggle was necessary to challenge the oppressive system and to mobilize the masses. This shift was marked by the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the ANC's military wing, which aimed to carry out sabotage against government and economic targets to undermine apartheid. The decision was also influenced by the broader context of decolonization and liberation movements occurring across Africa at the time.