PRESIDENT LUNGU SENDS MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO ANC ON 105 YEARS ANNIVERSARY

PRETORIA – 8TH JANUARY, 2017 – PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has congratulated South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) on its 105th anniversary.
President Lungu has sent the message of solidarity on the occasion marking 105 years since the formation of the ANC.
The ANC, led by South Africa’s President, His Excellency Mr. Jacob Zuma and other senior party officials, is today, 8th January, 2017 celebrating its birthday at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.
The occasion is also being used by President Zuma to deliver what is called the ‘8th January Annual Statement’, which is a state of the party report and declaration issued by the President on behalf of the organisation.
In the message issued by Acting President Madam Inonge Wina, who is also Patriotic Front Vice-President on behalf of President Lungu, Mrs. Wina stated that the ANC had helped bring freedom to South Africa.
She said that the ANC, as a ruling party, remained instrumental in delivering development to its people and the country.
Mrs. Wina said during the liberation struggle, Zambia hosted the ANC for 30 years including its party headquarters in Lusaka.
She said it was for this reason that President Lungu, through the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, has gazetted ANC’s first president, Oliver Tambo’s house in Lusaka’s Chelstone area as a national monument to help keep alive the memories of Zambia’s role and to record its historical contributions in the regional struggle.
The Acting-President said as the ANC also commemorates 2017 as the year that Oliver Tambo would have celebrated his 100th birthday, Zambia and Africa will always remember the roles that founder leaders such as Kenneth Kaunda, Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta, Ben Bella, Sekou Toure and others played in the liberation of Africa.
She said President Lungu has wished the ANC, President Zuma and the collective leadership of the party as well, and urged the party to continue keeping the organisation as a vehicle of development, freedom, peace and unity.
This is contained in a message of solidarity delivered by Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba.