The African National Congress’s 95th anniversary rally will be open to the general public, the party confirmed on Wednesday.
”The African National Congress wishes to correct an impression created by an article in the Wednesday edition of the Sowetan newspaper that people attending the ANC’s 95th anniversary rally will have to submit their ID numbers in order to attend,” said ANC spokesperson Steyn Speed.
The party is to host its anniversary rally in Witbank on Saturday.
On Wednesday the Sowetan reported that ANC branches around the country were expected to forward the names and identity numbers of those wishing to attend.
According to the paper the submission of the names and identity numbers of those who would attend was a bid by the ANC to protect President Thabo Mbeki from ”unruly party members”.
However spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama denied the claim stating that ”it was a standard procedure of the ANC”.
He added that the procedure had not been followed by some branches.
Ngonyama said the party did not expect unruly behaviour similar to that at the funeral service of Moses Mabhida in early December. Mbeki had been addressing the crowd when people walked out and heckled him.
”The rally is not strictly by invite. It is open to all members of the public who wish to attend, and there is no requirement that they should submit their ID numbers,” said Speed.
However Speed said, for security reasons that service providers and artists, as well as the media required accreditation to enter particular areas.
ANC members making use of buses were required to submit their names to their branches for planning purposes.
”These are not general requirements and do not in any way apply to members of the public wishing to attend. We call on people from across Mpumalanga and from other provinces to attend this historic event,” said Speed. – Sapa