MBOMBELA – The president, Mr Jacob Zuma will address throngs of ANC supporters during the party’s provincial manifesto launch at the Mbombela Stadium today.

The EFF, DA and the Bushbuckridge Residents Association have already toured the province where they took their elections manifestos directly to the people.

The ANC provincial spokesperson, Mr Sibusiso Themba said they were expecting over 50 000 of its members.
He said plans and preparations for their manifesto were at advanced stages.

“We are aware of the fact that the stadium only takes about 40 000 people, but we are prepared to host an even larger crowd. We will set up overflow areas around the stadium,” he said.

The last time Zuma was in the province for party business during the January 8 celebration, this province broke all records by attracting a huge turnout with over 60 000 people attending. “We are looking at attracting an even bigger crowd than what we had before. We are expecting members even from outside the province. We would like to invite and encourage our members to come in numbers and show their support for the party,” said Themba.

“We have invited both national and local artists to entertain our members. We know the stadium only takes about 40 000 people but we are prepared to accommodate a larger crowd,” he continued.

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The party secretary, Mr Mandla Ndlovu said the launch of the manifesto would be a univocal reflection of the views and aspirations of the people of the province.

“This manifesto will be an expanded notation of the ANC’s theme for this year, which is dubbed as the year of advancing people’s power.

“It is a manifesto guided by the needs and challenges of the people of Mpumalanga and the pertinent need to overcome the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

“Since the first democratic local elections of 2000, the ANC has remained committed to a peoples’ contract to build better communities. This is recorded in the massive strides made in service delivery in the past 15 years.

“The ANC is, however, not aloof about the challenges that still remain in our communities and it is only through working together that we will build even better communities in order to achieve a truly national democratic society,” said Ndlovu.

Proceedings begin promptly at 09:00.