ANC celebrations reach Rubusana region

It’s all systems go as ANC Dr WB Rubusana region prepares to host its leg of the ruling party’s 111th anniversary celebrations.

The event will take place at Orient Theatre in East London on Friday.

Regional secretary Antonio Carels on Wednesday said about 2,000 members were expected to make their way to the celebrations.

Carels said the party celebrated its anniversary in different forms and this year has been earmarked as the year of decisive action.

“This year we’ll look at what is it we need to do as an organisation to address the plight of our communities and how we are going to address the challenges our communities are experiencing,” he said.

“It will not just be a celebration, we’ll also be giving line of march to the members and deployees of the ANC on what needs to be done.

“The time of thinking it’s business as usual has to come to an end.

“We need to take action and address all the concerns our communities are facing.”

Carels said the Rubusana leg of the celebrations would be in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s January 8 statement in Mangaung.

“He laid out all the foundation for us and what needs to be done in year 2023 and ahead,” he said.

“It’s not a celebration in the true sense, but we give a mandate to all our to deployees to go on the ground and begin to work for the ANC.”

Carels said the region had asked secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to delegate a representative from the national structure to address the gathering.

“We are still waiting for confirmation from the office of the SG,” he said.

Carels said the ANC would not use the celebrations to prepare for next year’s general elections.

“We still have to go to our strategic planning sessions as a region where we will plan and strategise, and take that plan to the region’s elections team so that it can be implemented and actioned by the branches of the ANC as we are about to start our campaign for 2024,” he said.

The region has been divided during the recent regional, provincial and national conferences.

Carels said it was of paramount importance for the region to put unity first.

“Remember, part of the president’s statement was that we cannot speak about unity and cohesion of the movement but we don’t practise that,” he said.

“We need now to be able to realise the unity of the ANC, which at this point in time is needed by the members of the ANC.

“Speaking from what the president said, as members of the ANC in Rubusana we have no other alternative but to unite the ANC in the region.

“As the leadership we are on course for that programme ... to make sure the ANC gets to be united in the region.

“Everybody will have to extend a hand in making sure unity and cohesion will be achieved in the region.

“If all of us are able to put away our petty squabbles and attitudes and get our hands dirty and begin to work for the ANC, the party will be able to execute programmes without any hindrances.”

During his speech in Mangaung, Ramaphosa said unity should be at the top of the agenda for the ruling party.

“There is no longer room, at all, for those who want to sow seeds of divisions in the ANC,” Ramaphosa told thousands of party members gathered at the national event.

The region held its lekgotla earlier this week when it assessed the implementation of policy priorities.

Carels said the regional lekgotla was in preparation for the provincial one.

“This is the year of decisive action and we must be on the ground,” he said.