South Africa's ruling African National Congress will wrap up a weekend of festivities celebrating its centennial Sunday with a rally headed by President Jacob Zuma.

Heads of states from other African countries have joined in the recognition of the continent's oldest liberation movement, which Nelson Mandela led to power after the fall of apartheid.

Mr. Mandela has not attended the commemorations due to increasing frailty.

The splashy and traditional celebrations are taking place in the ANC's birthplace, the city of Bloemfontein.

As part of the centennial commemoration, President Jacob Zuma last night lit a flame at the Bloemfontein church where black intellectuals and activists founded the African National Congress on January 8, 1912.

The ANC was born out of the desire and will to fight discrimination, and its struggle led to the end of South Africa's white minority rule in 1994.

Nelson Mandela became the country's first black president.