Port Elizabeth - President Jacob Zuma received a terrific welcome from ANC supporters at Dan Qeqe Stadium in Nelson Mandela Bay despite his late arrival for the party’s provincial Siyanqoba rally.
There was jubilation and waving of ANC flags as Zuma arrived at the rundown, small stadium in a convoy of black German sedans.
Zuma was the target of throngs of journalists and photographers who trained their cameras on him as he stepped out of his armoured car and exposed himself to the weather in the Windy City on Saturday.
He smiled and waved to the supporters as his burly bodyguards watched over him every step of the way to the stage where he will deliver the keynote address.
The president was welcomed on the stage by ANC leaders including provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane and his national counterpart Zizi Kodwa, head of campaigns Fikile Mbalula, and Deputy Agriculture Minister Bheki Cele, among others.
The metro executive, including mayor Danny Jordaan, were among city officials attending the jamboree, aimed at showing the ANC's strength in a region where the party has been on a downward spiral since 2011.
@luyolomkentane
Elections Bureau