ANC deputy secretary Nomvula Mokonyane.

• The ANC celebrates its 112th anniversary on Saturday.
• Cyril Ramaphosa took the day off to practise his speech.
• Ramaphosa will address ANC supporters at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.

It’s all systems go for the ANC’s 112th anniversary and the party is ready to host more than 43 000 supporters, according to ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane. 

Mokonyane addressed the media at the Mbombela Stadium on Friday afternoon, where the stadium management handed over a certificate and the keys for the ANC to occupy the facility for its celebrations. 

Mokonyane said the party was ready to welcome thousands of supporters to the stadium on Saturday. 

At least 800 buses and more than 1 000 taxis are expected to transport supporters to the stadium.

Mokonyane said the president of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa, had been given the day off from party events to practise his speech.

She said Ramaphosa was expected to deliver the January 8 statement by 11:00 on Saturday. 

Mokonyane said:

She said the ANC could safely say it had done all it could to ensure a successful event.

“We have crisscrossed Mpumalanga, we have worked with branches and community-based organisations, we have bus lists, we have marshals and security for the stadium,” she said. 

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Mokonyane said law enforcement agencies would be visibly present, in line with the Public Gatherings Act.

“The stadium will be open from 05:00 on Saturday and will be cleared by law enforcement agencies,” she said.

“Because of the extent of the mobilisation, we have also decided to have an overflow. There is going to be a parade from different cultural groups. We will also demonstrate our support for Palestine,” Mokonyane said.

She said the demonstration would be to signal South Africa’s support for Palestine after the genocidal case against Israel was heard in The Hague.

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The thousands of ANC supporters expected to attend the celebrations will hear Ramaphosa report back on the ANC’s successes and achievements over the past 30 years.

The expectation is that Ramaphosa will speak on health, education, unemployment, the economy, and other ANC policies.

The ANC’s highest decision-making body, the national executive committee (NEC), spent the better half of Thursday evening dissecting Ramaphosa’s speech.

“We are satisfied with what has come out of the NEC preparations. The drafters did a sterling job, but the president is quite geared up,” Mokonyane said.