ANC announces scaled-down itinerary for January 8 celebrations

The ANC has outlined its programme and activities for its upcoming 109th anniversary celebrations to be held in Limpopo.

Briefing the media on Friday, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte said the party’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, would deliver the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) January 8 statement at scaled down celebrations, where there would be no mass rally.

This was as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the party’s commitment to preserving lives and adhering to government’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus, Duarte said.

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The celebrations will be held 60km outside Polokwane at Seleteng village, Duarte said, adding that strict protocols in line with Covid-19 regulations would be put in place, including the wearing of masks, regular sanitising and social distancing.

Only 100 attendees of the celebrations would be allowed in the main plenary and a video link would be used to connect with other provinces, the deputy secretary-general said.

Duarte also said a much smaller number of media would attend the celebrations.

The activities for the celebrations will include visits to the royal houses in the province, engagements with religious leaders and other formations, as well as a presidential golf day and engagements with communities.

The ANC’s alliance partners – the Cosatu and the South African Communist Party (SACP) – will also deliver messages of support.

ANC Limpopo secretary Soviet Lekganyane said they would ensure that there was compliance with Covid-19 regulations.

Lekganyane said the five-day programme would start on Monday, 4 January 2021 until 8 January 2021, with the first two days set aside for the party’s leadership to visit the royal houses in all the five districts of the province.

On 6 January 2021, the first activity will be a presidential golf day, before the ANC leadership proceeds to Sekhukhune to pay tribute to the family of struggle hero John Nkadimeng. For the rest of that day, the leadership of the ANC will meet with interfaith organisations, Lekganyane said.

On Thursday, 7 January 2021, the ANC leadership will lay wreaths “on the graves of our fallen comrades”,  including that of late ANC Youth League leader Peter Mokaba and other party leaders like Elias Motsoaledi and Charlotte Maxeke, among others, Lekganyane said.

Ramaphosa will deliver the January 8 statement on Friday, 8 January 2021 at a sports ground in the area, Lekganyane said.

Lekganyane added that at for all these activities, only those who have been invited will be allowed to attend.

Events will be held in all the other eight provinces.

Meanwhile, Duarte was reluctant to respond to a question on the NEC’s position regarding the party’s resolution that those accused of corruption should step aside from their positions but she said the committee was “seized” by the matter.

Duarte added that it was a matter than could not be treated simplistically and that there had been instances where a case was thrown out of court after an accused person had vacated their position.

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The deputy secretary-general said the fact that next year’s anniversary celebrations would be smaller and hence cost less, was not the main reason for scaling down the celebrations but was to minimise the spread of Covid-19.

Duarte said the party supported the decision to close some beaches across the country as this would help curb the spread of Covid-19.

Duarte said Ramaphosa had dealt with the pandemic “excellently” in the face of a difficult issue of balancing the saving of lives and livelihoods.

@MYANC Statement on the 2021 January 8th Celebrations #ANC109 #ANCLimpopo109 pic.twitter.com/jIUJkhy7hI

— African National Congress (@MYANC) December 18, 2020

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