Durban - The African National Congress (ANC) will donate celebratory birthday cakes to old age homes, HIV/Aids centres and orphanages across KwaZulu-Natal when it celebrates its 107th birthday next week.
With celebrations expected to kick off on 8 January at various locations across the province, activities are expected to run up until 13 January, culminating in a voter registration beach party.
Addressing the media at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Thursday, ANC election organiser Fikile Mbalula said the main celebration, often referred to as the “January 8th statement”, will be held in Inanda.
He said the series of celebrations “exemplifies a rich and proud tradition” of the former liberation movement-turned-governing party
“On 8 January 2019, as is customary every year, the ANC will release its January 8th statement to outline its priorities for the year ahead. This year the…celebrations will be decentralised across all the 11 ANC regions of the KwaZulu-Natal province.
“The main event will be held at the Ohlange Institute at Inanda, in the eThekwini Region, and will be addressed by the ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa. Both the national and provincial ANC leadership will be deployed across all the 11 regions,” said Mbalula.
KwaZulu-Natal is made up of 10 administrative districts and one metropolitan municipality called eThekwini (Durban). The ANC uses these geographical markers to map out its own regions.
Prior to the statement, a prayer will be held at the Durban Central Methodist Church.
Cake cutting ceremonies will take place across the province, with the cakes then donated, among other gifts, to various non-profit institutions, such as orphanages and old age homes, in the various regions.
Mbalula said the party would also issue various awards to its members, including its highest honour known as “Isitwalandwe/Seaparankwe”.
Reading a prepared statement, Mbalula said in preparation for the upcoming national general elections to be held in May 2019, the party would be launching its election manifesto on 12 January at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“The stadium has a capacity of 85,000 and People Park will be used as an overflow venue. We are confident that we will fill these to capacity. Buses in excess of 1,300 have been organised to transport people from all provinces. Trains have also been organised to transport people from different parts of KZN,” said Mbalula.
He said on 11 January, activities would be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre while on 13 January there would be a “Voter Registration beach party”.