Durban - Durban’s Moses Mabhida stadium was a sea of yellow, green and black as the thousands of ANC supporters attended the launch of the party’s manifesto on Saturday. Security was tight as with several units from the South African Police Services deployed all over the precinct while State Security Services officials and Metro Police were also out in full force.
One of the notable absentees was former President Thabo Mbeki who excused himself from attending the event saying that he had prior engagements.
Despite Ramaphosa's speech taking almost two hours, the crowd braved the hot and humid Durban weather.
Sipho Shongwe, who had travelled from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, to be part of the ANC's 107th birthday celebrations said that Ramaphosa's address hit all the right notes particularly as it was an election year that was key for the ANC.
"We are in an election year and it's true what the president says when he urges us to ensure that we secure an overwhelming ANC victory at the polls.
"I also agree with him that we should also accelerate quality service delivery to the people and that complacency from those in the public service will not be tolerated," Shongwe said.
He said that Ramaphosa and the ANC's call for organisational renewal was important because it spoke to ridding the ANC of gatekeeping, factionalism, disunity and "all other foreign tendencies".
"The other key point is that in line with the resolution of the 54th national conference the ANC is more than determined to see the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution so as to ensure the realisation of expropriation of land without compensation which is a long-awaited dream that we want to come true," said Shongwe.
Busi Sibiya, from Empangeni on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, said that she was unsure whether Ramaphosa would fulfil all his promises, especially on job creation.
"He said all the right things, but we've heard these promises all too often before but today in this province we have so many unemployed young people and this has led to increased drug dependency among the unemployed youth because they have lost all hope," Sibiya said.