January 8 statement: What to expect as the ANC marks its 113th anniversary

JOHANNESBURG – The African National Congress (ANC) is marking its 113th anniversary this week, against the backdrop of its weakest electoral performance since 1994.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to deliver the birthday message, known as the January 8 Statement, at the Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on Saturday.

This annual event serves as an opportunity for the party to outline its plans for the year ahead, and to reflect.

The ANC’s electoral setbacks are expected to feature prominently in Ramaphosa’s address.

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Last year, the ANC held its birthday celebrations in Mpumalanga, where the majority of Ramaphosa’s January 8 Statement focused on urging South Africans to vote for the party in the May general elections.

However, this year, Ramaphosa is expected to deliver a notably different speech, one that likely focuses on picking up the pieces.

Given that this will be the first January 8 gathering since the ANC lost its majority, Ramaphosa might choose to use the opportunity to explain why his party settled on a Government of National Unity (GNU) which included the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Political analyst Wayne Sussman expects the party to use its birthday celebrations to regain public trust.

“That will be the ANC’s focus. To do better and regain the confidence of voters in urban areas and continue to do well in rural areas, and also believe that it can win back some of the support it has lost to the MK [uMkhonto weSizwe Party] and EFF [Economic Freedom Fighters] in the next elections.”

This year’s event will be one of the smallest in the ANC’s history, at a venue with a capacity of just over 1,500.