The 95 000-seater FNB Stadium in Soweto was filled to capacity, ANC head of elections Malusi Gigaba told a cheering crowd there on Sunday.
Thousands of ANC members were attending the party’s Siyanqoba rally three days before the May 7 elections.
Gigaba said the three overflow areas outside the stadium were also filled to capacity.
The party was also holding rallies in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
President Jacob Zuma’s keynote address at the FNB stadium would be live-streamed to other rallies around the country, Gigaba said.
The last time Zuma addressed a crowd at the FNB stadium, at former president Nelson Mandela’s memorial, he was booed.
Run, run
Earlier this week the ANC denied reports that it was vetting people to stop those who might boo again from coming.
The calabash stadium on Sunday was a sea of green, yellow and black.
People waved ANC flags and held up homemade placards some of which read “Too late Malema, better luck next time”, “Run Zille, run” and “Run Malema, run”.
Local dancers and musicians entertained the crowd as they waited for Zuma to arrive.
ANC national executive committee members sat on the stage all in party regalia. Some danced along with the crowd to the music.
Earlier, an aircraft carrying a blue “vote DA on May 7” banner flew over the stadium. However it went unnoticed by ANC supporters. There was a heavy police presence ahead of Zuma’s arrival.