Prior to the banning of the ANC by the South African government in 1960, the National Congresses were held annually. Following the banning, the ANC held a number of National Consultative Conferences abroad. When the ANC was unbanned, it held its first national conference in 32 years in Durban (1991); from 1991 to 1997, the conferences were held every three years. At the 1997 conference in Mafikeng, future conferences would be held every five years.