'Hold on to your girlfriends‚ the ANC is in town'

As the newly elected ANC leadership grapples with serious issues‚ social media is poking fun at the gathering in East London and warning that well-heeled “comrades” will make off with the town’s women.

The ANC is celebrating its 106th birthday in the coastal town and the red carpet will be rolled out for high-profile dignitaries‚ including Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta and former Mozambican head of state Joaquim Chissano.

Speculation is rife that one of the sticky issues the ruling party's national executive committee will tackle is President Jacob Zuma’s axing.

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the January 8 statement on Monday and the town has been buzzing since.

Facebook and Twitter posts warned that men should be wary of their wives and girlfriends going anywhere near East London International Convention Centre‚ declaring the venue a “danger zone”.

Pictures of luxury cars – supposedly belonging to ANC bigwigs attending the celebrations – were also posted on the social media platforms.

Bongani Ndunyana posted a picture of a black German SUV on Facebook with the warning: “If you in EL you better make SOLID plans with your gf otherwise she will end up in ICC … The comrades have arrived.”

He added: “ICC danger zone”.

Twitter user Simanye Mavume tweeted:

But Luzuko Charlie was not pleased by the posts. On Facebook he said: