The African National Congress (ANC) will host its anniversary celebrations and public engagements this afternoon with a cake-cutting ceremony in Thembalethu, George.
This event leads up to the anniversary rally scheduled for Saturday at the Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats.
The ANC is marking its 113th anniversary, with President Cyril Ramaphosa visiting Robben Island to officially kick off the celebrations.
The ANC’s visit to Nelson Mandela’s prison cell on Robben Island symbolizes the enduring legacy of sacrifice and struggle for freedom. Standing in the very space where Mandela was imprisoned, President Ramaphosa reflects the ANC’s continued commitment to justice, unity, and… pic.twitter.com/NlhobzYMvc
— African National Congress (@MYANC) January 8, 2025
Renewal
ANC Political Education Committee member Thembeni Nxangisa says the party has remained resilient and committed to renewal despite challenges, crediting its leadership for building a strong foundation.
Nxangisa was speaking in the Waaihoek Wesleyan Church in Bloemfontein where the party was established in 1912.
“The ANC in its 113 years, is not immune from encountering challenges or problems. The encouraging thing is that the ANC, in that period has established systems and ways to handle and deal with that. And that’s why currently the ANC is in the process of organisational renewal which is aimed at bringing the ANC back to the people because the ANC is an organisation of the masses.”
He adds, “When the ANC was formed the main objective was to unite all Africans under the banner of the African National Congress with an intention of creating a united South Africa, a democratic South Africa, with an intention of ensuring that we have a South Africa that is non-racial, non-sexist, and the country’s wealth is developed and grown to accommodate everybody. So, as we celebrate today, we look back on all the historical moments, and activities that have brought us the ANC that we have today.”
[WATCH] President, Cyril Ramaphosa places a stone at the Robben Island lime quarry, where Nelson Mandela and fellow freedom fighters toiled under harsh conditions.
“To remember Madiba and to remember the formation of the ANC. So Happy Birthday ANC, and that you were formed and… pic.twitter.com/hG3EzTgmDX
— African National Congress (@MYANC) January 8, 2025
Today, we celebrate the 113th anniversary of the African National Congress, the oldest liberation movement on the African continent.
For over a century, the ANC has been a symbol of resilience, unity, and the unwavering fight for justice, equality, and freedom.#ANC113… pic.twitter.com/ZDPqsEBvid
— African National Congress (@MYANC) January 8, 2025
VIDEO | Nxangisa says Waaihoek Wesleyan Church is where ANC’s umbilical cord is preserved.
