First of all, happy birthday to the ANC.
Founded as the South African Native Congress and subsequently renamed the African National Congress, this is the oldest political organisation of its sort in Africa and many formerly colonised societies.
Allow me also to extend my congratulations to the newly elected Maki Legwete branch, Ward 12 councillor, Jeremiah Molibatsi Jim for the commitment that he has shown in his first term of office as a ward councillor.
Jim is popularly known in political circles as Bishop and late last year closed Ward 11 in style.
On 11 November 2016, the soft-spoken ward councillor Jim surprised many people of Mogale City, when he hosted Jeff Radebe – the honourable Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration when he visited the Chief Mogale Community Hall as part of the National Imbizo Focus Week.
Five months into his tenure, Jim, a 50-year-old, has already shown signs of hard work to serve his community. Because of his dedication, he achieved one huge important achievement in his political career by hosting the minister from the highest office in the land.
I usually praise him in my community meetings, saying he is a hard worker who is dedicated to serving the city’s people. And he proved it, once again, when on 6 January at Chief Mogale Hall, he welcomed the keynote speaker, the former Minister of Labour and ex-governor of the Reserve Bank, Tito Mboweni.
Mboweni was also deployed with his fellow ANC MEC Minister of Intelligence David Maholobo to Mogale City to participate in a build-up programme towards January 8.
So on January 8 every year, we celebrate the birthday of the ANC. It is a big occasion for the ANC family, South Africans and all our global friends, colleagues and comrades. We brag about everything and criticise ourselves for all our faults.
But it’s also like Derby Day! We come out in full ANC regalia, we sing and dance and really have a good birthday party. That is the spirit of the January 8 celebrations.
This year was dedicated to Oliver Reginald Tambo. The message going through the January 8 statement was really about OR Tambo – President OR – as we used to call him.
