Part of the crowd attending the African National Congress’s 112th anniversary celebration at Mbombela Stadium on 13 January 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Dirk Kotze) 
A capacity crowd cheered and clapped as ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa took a veiled swipe at former president Jacob Zuma's who recently announced that he will be campaigning for the MK party.
Ramaphosa speaking at the ANC’s 112th anniversary bash held at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on Saturday.
A sea of green, gold and black responded animatedly as a fired-up Ramaphosa articulated the party’s agenda for the year.
During his address Ramaphosa, without naming him specifically, took a veiled swipe at former president Jacob Zuma's decision to join and campaign for the newly formed MK party.
Read more on Daily Maverick: With love from Zuma — former president ditches ANC in upcoming elections, vows ‘total liberation’
Ramaphosa started by making claims that there are “forces that are working hard to undermine the gains of freedom made over the last three decades”.
He accused parties of masquerading as more radical versions of the ANC while insisting that the governing party was superior to new formations.
Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the ANC’s 112th anniversary celebration held at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga. (Photo: ANC on X)
Podium celebrations at the ANC’s 112th anniversary event at Mbombela Stadium on 13 January 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Dirk Kotze)
“Another anti-transformation tactic is to ensure that the ANC is locked up in internal struggles that will weaken and destroy it from within. They actively encourage rebel break-away groupings to erode the support base of the ANC.
“Often these start as factional conflicts within the ANC, but when the movement pushes ahead with its renewal, they mutate into opposition parties that are as opposed to the ANC as the right-wing opponents of transformation.
“The ANC-led Alliance and the broad progressive movement remains the only reliable force that is capable, and that has a tradition, of uniting and working with various social forces to advance the national democratic agenda.
“Unique among political formations in South Africa, the ANC has been able to work with workers, women, youth, progressive professionals, intellectuals, business people, middle-strata, faith-based organisations, cultural activists, traditional leaders, and various community-based and non-governmental organisations to achieve social and economic change,” Ramaphosa reiterated.
The crowd celebrates the African National Congress’s 112th anniversary at Mbombela Stadium on 13 January 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Dirk Kotze)
The African National Congress’s 112th anniversary celebration at Mbombela Stadium on 13 January 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Dirk Kotze)
He further addressed what he deemed to be “anti-transformation forces” that were determined to stop the ANC from forming a united country.
“The anti-transformation forces are converging into pacts, while at the same time seeking to fragment the forces for change through splinter groups and small parties that will contest the ANC.
“The onslaught against transformation should make us more determined this year to succeed in building a better life for all and to be more deliberate and resolute about the renewal of the ANC, the broad democratic forces and our society,” he said.
Mapaila directly slams Zuma
While delivering a message of support, SA Communist Party General Secretary, Solly Mapaila, said the ANC must prevent those outside of the party from misusing its symbols.
Energy minister Gwede Mantashe at the African National Congress’s 112th anniversary celebration at Mbombela Stadium on 13 January 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Dirk Kotze)
He went on to implore the ANC’s National Executive Committee not to tiptoe around Zuma and instead directly address him.
“We want to say to the ANC, do not allow anybody to hijack the symbols of our movement. uMkhonto WeSizwe was established jointly by the SACP and the ANC, the SACP accepted full leadership of the ANC on Umkhonto WeSizwe.
“To date, others have emerged, including former President Jacob Zuma, I don't know why the NEC is dilly-dallying on this counter-revolutionary,” he charged.
“We want to say to the leadership of the ANC that we do all and everything for the revolution and nothing against it. When those who rise against the revolution do so wearing our colours, we must deal with them decisively without any shame.”
Part of the crowd attending the African National Congress’s 112th anniversary celebration at Mbombela Stadium on 13 January 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Dirk Kotze)
There has been ongoing friction about the use of the ANC liberation military wing’s name by the new MK party.
Read more on Daily Maverick: ANC KZN condemns Zuma’s ‘gross ill-discipline’ for support of new party
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula this week said that the ruling party intended to challenge the new party, saying the name belonged to the ANC.
Meanwhile, South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) president Richard Mkhungo took the opportunity to reaffirm the formation's unconditional support for the ANC in the upcoming elections.
This is despite the departure of Zuma from the ANC and following his election as Sanco KwaZulu-Natal chair last year.
“We will campaign and vote for the ANC and nothing else. Any move contrary to that is self-expulsion.
“We are saying this, comrades, because there's some new tendency by new shenanigans who are using our name to associate with ourselves as if they don't know our originality. We are very pleased under the leadership of the ANC,” Mkhungo said. DM