‘We’ve never paid for people from outside hosting provinces to attend rallies’ – Mbalula on ANC birthday venue

African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has denied claims that the party has previously transported members to attend rallies.

Briefing the media on the party’s readiness to host its 113th birthday celebration in Khayelitsha, Western Cape, Mbalula said the party only transports people from within the host provinces.

He said the party has never paid for transport for members travelling from other provinces.

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“Are we transporting people? We are not transporting people. I saw a distorted headline that we’re not paying. We’ve never paid for people from outside the hosting province to come to the rally,” said Mbalula.

“This place will be filled by Khayelitsha people. We will transport everyone in the Western Cape, and in and around Khayelitsha to come here, that’s what we’re going to do. We’re not transporting anyone outside Cape Town, otherwise, Cape Town is very far.

“That’s why we have said to our members, ‘stay where you are, don’t come to Cape Town’. We don’t want people to have fatalities on the road, with buses and long distances. Those who can afford to come will fly in, and they will come, but we don’t encourage them to come. We don’t want them here.”

Mbalula on ANC rally and stadium capacity

The ANC in Mpumalanga has reportedly resolved not to attend the January 8 celebration in Khayelitsha due to “the small capacity of the venue”. It has opted to “prioritise” its provincial celebration scheduled for 25 January.

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This comes amid reports that the Mandela Park Stadium can only hold 2 000 people. However, Mbalula clarified that the ANC would not host its celebrations there due to safety issues. He said the party decided to use a park, which is next to the stadium.

“It is nice and good to go to bigger stadiums and fill them up, we have done it before. This place will be filled to capacity. One journalist said this place takes 2 000 people, it’s not true, it takes 22 000.

“We announced to you already last year that we’re going to Khayelitsha. It’s not the first time that the ANC holds a rally in an open field. We have nothing to prove to anyone,” said Mbalula.

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