ANC President Jacob Zuma paid tribute to the ordinary men and women who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of South Africa, and to Cuba for its unwavering support. US civil rights activist, Reverend Jesse Jackson said it was time the country snapped out of educational and economic apartheid.
Zuma was addressing a strong 100 000 crowd in Manguang in the Free State at the ANC's centenary celebration on Sunday.
In his speech, Zuma traced the long history of the movement, from its formation to the consolidation of democracy and highlighted the party's journey of 100 years of "selfless" struggle.
About 100 000 people braved the blistering heat for several hours to attend Africa's oldest liberation movement's centenary celebrations.
Delivering the key note address, after a weekend of festivities, Zuma lauded men, women, youth, church leaders, and foreign countries that helped liberate the country.
The celebrations were attended by 46 present and former Heads of State from across the globe, mostly from Africa.
Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni were among the dignitaries.
President Zuma also paid special tribute to some white activists who had committed themselves to democratic change in the country.
"The ANC has always and continues to cherish (their) contribution," he said.
"This unity across divides has strengthened the ANC."
Millions more watched Zuma's speech as it was beamed live to South Africans across radio and television stations.
Zuma also paid tribute to several African countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Angola, and Mozambique for their support during the dark days of apartheid.
"We also acknowledged the support we received from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland," he said.
"We single out Cuba for her unwavering support to the movement. "Freedom would not have been achieved (without the support)."
The ANC marked its founding on January 8, 1912 with the midnight lighting of a centenary torch that was carried into the stadium by former president Thabo Mbeki.
The torch, symbolising the ANC's history will be travelling the country over the next year to the country's nine provinces.
Economic Apartheid
Zuma played tribute to 134 South African patriots, most of them Umkhonto We Sizwe (ANC military wing) soldiers like Chris Hani, Joe Slovo and Joe Modise.
He also paid tribute to Solomon Mahlangu who was executed by the apartheid regime in Pretoria.
"Our freedom was achieved through the blood, sweat and tears of the cadres of the movement.
Earlier, US based civil rights activist, Reverend Jesse Jackson, said he thought the ANC was doing a good job in the country.
Jackson was speaking at the Waaihoek Wyslean church, the venue where the ANC was born.
Jackson said South Africa had gone from a disgrace to an amazing race but the country still faced a few challenges.
"Now you have been freed from humiliation of skin colour apartheid- but there is educational apartheid, there is economic apartheid and land ownership," he said.
Founding Zambian president Kenneth Kuanda said, "we have to fight poverty and all its offshoots of hunger, ignorance, disease, crime, corruption and above all, exploitation of one mind by another."
The South African Communist Party, an alliance partner of the ANC said there" are very few political formations in the world today that have achieved a centenary, and none that can speak of such a history of perseverance in the face of prolonged persecution, of mass-based struggles against one of the most tenacious colonial regimes of the 20th century, and of ultimate, if still relative and partial, victory."
