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South Africa President Jacob Zuma lit a centenary torch at the historic Waaihoek Church in Bloemfontein at midnight on Sunday (January 8), the spot where the African National Congress (ANC) was formed 100 years ago to the day.
Guests including the former presidents of Ghana and Zambia, members of the ANC leadership, former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the American civil rights activist, Reverend Jesse Jackson crowded into the tiny church as Zuma lit the centenary torch, which was then blessed by Archbishop Tutu.
The small township church, which had laid in ruins for many years before being bought by the ANC ahead of the centenary, was then rededicated in a religious service to become a church again.
The main centennial event will take place in the city's Mangaung Rugby stadium on Sunday, where thousands of people will gather to hear an address by President Zuma, followed by a musical showcase representing the ANC's history.
The long-banned liberation movement took power in 1994 after Nelson Mandela negotiated an end to apartheid with the white-minority government.
