THE ANC has revealed its 101-year-birthday wish. It wants to win back the Western Cape from DA.

Speakers at the party's January 8th rally, which was attended by less than 2000 people at the Philippi Stadium - near Cape Town - yesterday, urged members to kick off the campaign for next year's general elections in order to snatch the province from the DA.

Even songs sang by the crowd carried a clear message. The revellers sang: "Umama kaZille ugibel' imfene, uZille uyathakatha", which loosely translates to [Premier Helen] Zille's mother rides a baboon, Zille is a witch.)

Western Cape is the only province not controlled by the ANC. The party took the control of the province in 2004 under a coalition with another party and lost it to the DA in 2009.

The ANC has also deployed its heavyweights to the province, including Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, who is the convenor of the NEC members responsible to rebuild party in the province.

ANC chairwoman Baleka Mbete was the key speaker at the rally yesterday. She warned officials against deploying friends over skilled people.

Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and Western Cape ANC chairman, Marius Fransman, said the party should have more than 5000 volunteers knocking on every door in the "fight against the DA". Fransman described the DA administration as the "politics of deception" saying it catered mainly for the leafy suburbs.

Nomfesane Nyathela, the provincial ANC Youth League convenor, called for the youth to ensure that Premier Helen Zille has "sleepless nights" ahead of the general elections.

Xolani Sotashe, the chairman of the ANC Dullar Omar region, called for unity within the party's provincial structures "so that we can win back the Western Cape in 2014".

"We cannot continue to be a laughing stock in the country," said Sotashe.