African National Congress (ANC) members have started to flock to the Dr Petrus Molema Stadium in Mangaung, Bloemfontein, where the party’s president Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the January 8th statement later on Sunday.
This comes as the ANC celebrates its 111th anniversary.
There is traffic congestion on roads leading to the Stadium in Bloemfontein as thousands of people are trying to reach the main venue for the celebration.
Security is also tight at the stadium where party members have started to arrive. Vendors selling ANC regalia and merchandise can also be seen outside the stadium.
Mangaung Metro municipal spokesperson Qondile Khedama says law enforcement officers have been deployed to the area in which the stadium is situated.
“The traffic has started flowing in but what we did was we did enough work with law enforcement, traffic, SAPS, and the precinct is under surveillance. Our cameras are there so we just need the cooperation of revellers and the residents of Mangaung. But everything, for now, is going smooth and then we hope to finish the activity on a high note.”
There’s a hype of activities going around.
ANC renewal project
The ANC’s renewal project is expected to be mentioned in Ramaphosa’s speech. The message of renewal has been the overarching message this week from ANC officials simply speaking to the media.
ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile states that because the party was limping, now is the time for it to renew and rebuild itself in order to emerge as a stronger ANC.
ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile at Waaihoek Church:
‘Women play crucial role’
ANC National Executive Committee member Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams says the party has made major strides in ensuring that women play a crucial role in strengthening the ANC.
Ndabeni-Abrahams says women have always played an important role in building the ANC.
“All the great things, whether you’re talking about the development, whether you’re talking about mobilisation of the society, the entire building of the social cohesion that we’re talking about in the ANC, women were at the centre. But of course, we are not great storytellers as women. We are not good to tell the stories, and we are saying things must change.”
Expectations
ANC National Youth Task Team Convener, Nonceba Mhlawuli, says if Ramaphosa’s message did not resonate with the youth, they would not take it seriously. She says young people in the country are facing serious issues of unemployment, which have forced many of them to resort to substance abuse.
Only then will they be the leaders of society as they claim to be.
SABC News Samkele Maseko and Natasha Phiri report:
