DEPUTY Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta is among hundreds of guests invited by South Africa President Jacob Zuma to the centenary celebrations of the ruling African National Congress between January 6 and 10. Uhuru has been invited together with other members of the Kenyatta family. "I wish to kindly request for your urgent response to enable us to make arrangements for the very limited hotel accommodation in the host city," reads in part the invitation letter signed by South Africa High Commissioner Tom Amolo. It is not yet known whether President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have also received invitations but the two principals are expected to attend.
In a separate letter addressed to Uhuru by ANC national chairman Baleka Mbete, the party has disclosed that its top officials enjoyed "extremely close and historical relations" when they were in exile during South Africa's struggle to end the apartheid rule. "At the core of this struggle was our people's rights to choose their own destiny as a united, non-racial, non-sexist nation," Mbete says in his letter to the Kenyatta family.
ANC, which is headed by Zuma, is said to have already invited more than 100,000 guests including 60 heads of state from across the globe. ANC wants the celebrations to be the largest the continent has ever seen. The celebrations are to mark the 100 years of selfless struggle by the people of South Africa under the leadership of the ANC in its pursuit for freedom, democracy and unity of all South Africans.
The celebrations are set for Bloemfontein, Free State province, and will begin with a centenary golf day on January 6. On January 7, the ANC will hold a thanksgiving ceremony and dinner, hosted by President Zuma. The dinner will be attended by various heads of state and government, and will culminate in the lighting of a centenary flame by Zuma.
On January 8, the actual 100th day birthday, will begin with an inter-denominational church service followed by the centennial address by Zuma. The ANC was founded on January 8, 1912 in Mangaung which is in Free State Province where the party will celebrate its centenary.
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