ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa (left) greets ANC stalwart Dullah Omar's wife Farida at her home in Cape Town on 6 January 2025, ahead of the party’s 113th anniversary which will be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 11 January. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach) 
By the afternoon of Monday, 6 January, parts of Cape Town were flush with not only fancy SUVs and blue lights, but also the green and gold of the African National Congress (ANC) on full display as members gathered for the party’s birthday celebrations.
ANC party members are starting to gather in Cape Town – a city where they are in the opposition benches in council – to celebrate the party’s traditional January celebrations at the Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha on Saturday, 11 January.
The National Executive Committee of the African National Congress meets in Cape Town on Monday, 6 January before the party’s 113th birthday celebration this weekend. (Photo: Suné Payne)
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula (left) and national chair Gwede Mantashe wait for the start of the ANC’s special National Executive Committee meeting in Cape Town on Monday, 6 January. (Photo: Suné Payne)
National Executive Committee (NEC) members arrived in throngs at Cape Town’s Cape Sun hotel – some dressed in ANC regalia, others hopping out of SUVs, ahead of the celebrations.
Monday’s special NEC meeting focused on getting the ANC’s speech ready. Several government ministers walked speedily past journalists into the meeting.
This celebration serves as the party’s platform to outline its plans for the year, headlined by a speech by ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa. Issues at the top of the list include the South African Communist Party’s decision to contest elections on its own – and remain within the Tripartite Alliance as well as the government of national unity (GNU).
Read more: The political new year in the making: Five trends to watch closely
Minutes ahead of the planned special ANC NEC meeting in Cape Town, senior officials have arrived. Seen here are the arrivals of police minister Senzo Mchunu and electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa @dailymaverick pic.twitter.com/9YfE5uSr8S
— Suné Payne (@SunePayne) January 6, 2025
The Democratic Alliance (DA) governs the city, but the ANC garners traditional support from the area.
Pointing out the reason for choosing Khayelitsha, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said, “Unfortunately, under DA-led provincial governance, the Western Cape remains a province where inequality persists. In areas like Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain; black, coloured and Indian communities continue to face rampant crime, unemployment, inadequate housing, and poor access to basic services.”
Speaking at a readiness briefing before Saturday’s event, Mbalula said that the ANC’s decision to deliver the celebratory address in Khayelitsha stemmed not only “from a desire to reconnect with the people, but also from our commitment to addressing the daily challenges they face”.
Mbalula said the ANC aimed to “improve the lives of people who have been neglected in the Western Cape.”
This has caused ripples, with ANC members including Deputy President Paul Mashatile claiming that the DA-led Western Cape does not care about people living in Khayelitsha, according to News24.
On X, DA federal chair Helen Zille labelled this as “bullshit” on social media platform X.
Bullshit. The DA government does more for the people in Khayelitsha than in Camps Bay.
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) January 6, 2025
In the lead-up to the event, senior ANC officials have been in and around the metro to visit ANC stalwarts. One was Farida Omar, an activist, anti-apartheid lawyer and the widow of Dullah Omar, who played an integral role in the first ANC cabinet, first as minister of justice before taking the reins as minister of transport.
ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa (left) greets ANC stalwart Dullah Omar's wife Farida at her home in Cape Town on 6 January 2025, ahead of the party’s 113th anniversary which will be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 11 January. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)
Other appearances include scheduled lectures, visits to churches, taxi ranks, Robben Island and visits to various struggle stalwarts.
The celebrations come in the year before the 2026 local government elections. The ANC’s support in the metro has dropped in municipal elections: in 2021, it received 18.6% of the votes in the city. In the 2016 municipal elections, the party received 24.36% of the votes. DM