ANC bash attracts high-profile visitors
Cheapest ticket to dine with Cyril costs R250 000
High-profile dignitaries, including a statesman, top the list of VIPs who will descend on East London from tomorrow to be part of the ANC’s 106th birthday bash.
They include Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, President Jacob Zuma and former president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Other dignitaries expected to attend include senior members of liberation movements from the region, such as Frelimo of Mozambique and Angola’s MPLA.
Kenyatta’s spokesman, Menoah Esipisu, confirmed yesterday that “definitely our president will come to East London for the ANC birthday celebrations”.
Kenyatta is also on an official visit to the country and he will meet with Zuma today in Durban before joining other leaders in East London.
Sowetan can reveal that Zuma will arrive in East London on Friday, to be part of the ANC fundraising gala dinner where newly elected ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa will give the much-anticipated keynote address.
The cheapest seat at the main table with Ramaphosa goes for a hefty R250 000.
However, the main event is on Saturday where 120 000 ANC supporters are expected to pack three stadiums, namely Buffalo City, Buffalo Park and Jan Smuts.
ANC Eastern Cape chairman Oscar Mabuyane said the province will live up to expectations by hosting a memorable anniversary celebration of the governing party.
Yesterday Ramaphosa met his 80-member national executive committee at the East London Convention Centre where the party’s national working committee was expected to be elected and a report on conference preparations was also discussed in detail.
There was speculation that the matter of recalling Zuma would also be discussed.
But Ace Magashule, addressing the media, said the agenda of the meeting was adopted and there was no item to discuss a recall of Zuma.
“There are no two centres of power.
“There is only one centre and that is the African National Congress,” said Magashule
Mabuyane believed calls for Zuma’s recall should be a matter “handled by the leadership itself ”.