Ex-President Rawlings leaves for South Africa to attend ANC’s 100-year celebration

Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings will be attending the  100-year celebration of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, an official at his office tells ghanabusinessnews.com January 5, 2012.

The centenary celebrations will be held this weekend.

Mr Rawlings, his wife Nana Konadu, one of their children, and spokesperson Mr Kofi Adams will be leaving Accra tonight at 11 p.m for South Africa, W.O. Amoako of the Office of Mr Rawlings told ghanabusinessnews.com on the phone.

“The four are expected back in Accra on Tuesday January 10,”  Amoako said.

The Chairperson of the ANC, Baleka Mbetehe, has confirmed to the South African press that former heads of state like Mr Sam Nujoma of Namibia, Mr Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and former Mozambique President Joachim Chissano will be attending the event.

A total of 46 sitting heads of state have also confirmed their attendance for the event, according to the ANC official.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be attending but there are no clear indications whether former President Nelson Mandela will be part of the event , according to Mbete. “We continue to hope,” Mbete is quoted by the Independent newswire of South Africa as saying, adding that the party was in contact with the Mandela family.

Mbete said confirmation has also been received from 80 fraternal parties such as the MPLA, Swapo, Frelimo, PAIGC, the Norwegian Labour Party, Communist Party of Cuba, the German Social Democratic Party and the National Congress of India, the report says.

By Ekow Quandzie