The National Officials of the African National Congress met this morning and amongst issues they discussed was the January 8 events scheduled to take place throughout the country to celebrate the 109th anniversary of the ANC. In considering this the National Officials of the ANC received a briefing from Health Minister Comrade Zweli Mkhize on the 2nd Phase of the Covid 19 Pandemic.
The prognosis paints a worrying picture and all indications are that the virus will escalate in terms of the rate of infections in all provinces, other than the Northern Cape. The Officials were unanimous that it was untimely to forge ahead with the celebration in view of the aggressive nature of the pandemic. We are of the view that we have to uphold measures that are prescribed to minimize the spread and impact of this pandemic.
In this regard the National Officials have taken a conscious decision to cancel the planned January 8th commemoration event that was scheduled to take place at Ga-Mphahlele in Limpopo and all regions of our country.
As the leader of society, ANC believes it would not be responsible to continue with any celebrations where people gather, albeit in smaller groups and small numbers. For this reason and in the interest of saving lives, the Officials of the ANC have decided that all January 8 celebrations be cancelled.
The President will read the January 8 statement and this will be beamed on all ANC digital platforms. Plans are already underway to ensure that mainstream media houses as well as community media have direct access to the address. The NEC will have a virtual meeting on 6 January to finalise the content of the statement. The officials have agreed that Limpopo will host January 8 in the year 2022.
We reiterate our call on all South Africans to respect and abide by all regulations that have been announced by the government without any fail. This will go a long way in preserving lives and ensuring that the rippling effects of the pandemic are contained.
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ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
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