Come to the party in time, tardy ANC

All dressed up and nowhere to go… that’s how some ANC members will feel ahead of today’s 113th anniversary celebrations at the 22 000-capacity Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Sunday defended the party’s decision to host its January 8 Statement at a smaller venue than usual, insisting it had nothing to do with budget constraints, but all to do with “reconnecting with the party’s support base”.

The DA’s Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, however, said it couldn’t be further from the truth: “For the record, the ANC did not book the Khayelitsha stadium ‘out of concern’ for residents. They’re lying. They booked it because they were too incompetent to book any other venue in time. They tried to book Cape Town Stadium in mid-November 2024. It was already booked for a Stormers game. Then they tried Athlone Stadium. It was booked for the Klopse Carnival.”

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He added: “Several ANC office bearers called me asking for help in late November and early December. They said we were trying to sabotage them by refusing the stadium. The last conversation I had was on 5 December, and by then they still hadn’t made a booking. So please don’t believe their nonsense.”

The party usually uses the annual event to outline its plans for the year ahead. If they can’t even plan to book a venue in time – and then try and hide their tardiness – how can anyone take their plans seriously?