The African National Congress (ANC) extends its best wishes to its President and the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cde Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, on his 67th birthday.
Comrade Ramaphosa remains an inspiration to the people of South Africa and the entire membership of our movement for his steadfast and relentless commitment to the liberation struggle and the rebuilding of our nation. He became involved in student politics at the University of the North in 1972, where he joined the South African Student Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC. He was detained in 1974 for organising pro-Frelimo rallies that celebrated the independence of Mozambique. He was again detained in 1976 following the Soweto student uprisings. Comrade Ramaphosa was the first General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers and was elected ANC Secretary General in 1991.
President Ramaphosa is a loyal servant of the ANC and the people of South Africa who always discharges his responsibilities with selfless dedication. He served the post-1994 South Africa with the same passion and dedicated he demonstrated during the liberation struggle. From 2010 until 2014, he served as the Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission which carried the responsibility to draft the National Development Plan. As President of the Republic, he has contributed enormously towards restoring the integrity, credibility and legitimacy of our state institutions. In 2009, President Ramaphosa was awarded the National Order of the Baobab in Silver by former President Jacob Zuma for his contribution to the multi-party negotiations and for chairing the Constitutional Assembly to draft the new Constitution.
On his birthday, we salute him for embodying some of the best values and traditions of the Congress movement. His unwavering pursuit of the unity and renewal project following the NASREC conference is an example worthy of emulation by all cadres of our movement. A unifying leader, President Ramaphosa and his collective continue to serve as a glue that holds the organisation together. President Ramaphosa understands that the ANC is the only instrument in the hands of our people to change South Africa for the better. The entire nation remains indebted to his contribution and the personal sacrifices he made in the struggle for freedom and in the consolidation of our democracy.
We wish our President a happy birthday.
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ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
Enquiries:
Pule Mabe
National Spokesperson
071 623 4975
