ANC marks 114th anniversary amid renewal drive
South Africa's oldest liberation movement, the African National Congress, is celebrating 114 years of existence amid setbacks, including a decline in party support.
The celebrations are being held at the Moruleng Stadium, outside Rustenburg in the North West Province.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the party’s annual January 8 Statement.
The occasion serves as a moment of reflection on the ANC’s historical legacy, its achievements since inception, and the challenges it currently faces.
Prominent among these challenges is the party’s renewal agenda, which has been adversely affected by persistent corruption, governance failures, and poor service delivery across several spheres of government.
Earlier this week, Ramaphosa indicated that the ANC remains focused on strengthening local government through the implementation of its Local Government Action Plan.
The 2026 local government elections are being described as an opportunity for the ANC to regain its lost voter support after losing its majority in the 2024 general elections.
The party faces another hurdle - this time from its tripartite alliance partner, the South African Communist Party (SACP), which has taken a resolution to contest the next elections independently of the ANC.
