The African National Congress' (ANC's) centenary celebration in January should refocus everyone on the party and what it stands for, its culture, tradition, and its legacy, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.

Writing in his newsletter on the African National Congress website, Zuma said the centenary celebration programme was one of the most critical ANC campaigns ever run.

The leadership was privileged to be entrusted with the responsibility of organising the celebration.

It would help remind the people and the world of the ANC's pivotal role in the life of the country and that of the continent.

As the party turned a hundred years old five months from now, it would have to be "more serious about protecting and projecting our image, history, traditions, culture, and character properly".

"It means that we must show to all that we are the oldest liberation movement in Africa, and therefore our conduct and behaviour must reflect the maturity of our organisation.

"When we celebrate 100 years we must ensure that we inculcate and instil the best values of our movement which have sustained us for such a long period.

"Part of those traditions and culture include the unity of the ANC, unity with its alliance, maintaining the multi-class character of the ANC, its democratic nature, internationalist as well as its non-racial and non-sexist character," Zuma said.

These were the values which had sustained the ANC for the past 99 years.

"When we celebrate our 100 years next year, these must be stronger than ever.

"What is most important about the centenary celebrations is that it will give us an opportunity to articulate as a movement what is it that we think of ourselves and where we come from."

The campaign would focus on recruitment and political education.

"We want to achieve both the quantity and the quality of our membership," Zuma said.