ZANU-PF national chairman, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo is in Nicaragua to attend the inauguration of president-elect Cde Daniel Ortega of the leftist Sandinista movement.

Cde Khaya Moyo, who is accompanied by secretary for security Cde Sydney Sekeramayi, is representing President Mugabe at the inauguration of the Nicaraguan revolutionary who is set to begin his third term today.

Cde Ortega led a Marxist government that nationalised mines and expelled foreign mining firms after his Sandinista guerrillas attained power in 1979.

On assuming office, Cde Ortega launched an ambitious pro-people economic programme that included the expulsion of foreign mining firms and nationalisation of the mines.

His pro-people approach put him at loggerheads with the US which imposed an embargo that made it nearly impossible for the new mines to trade or acquire spare parts for US-made mining equipment.

The mining firms' woes were also compounded by attacks from US-backed Contra rebels, who were being bankrolled to overthrow the Sandinistas.

The Sandinistas were voted out of office in 1990 and subsequent governments privatised the gold mines, but after disastrous experiments with pro-US regimes, Nicaragua learnt its lesson and re-elected Ortega in 2006, his record saw him win a third five-year term last November with over 64 percent of the votes cast.

Speaking ahead of his departure for Nicaragua here, Cde Khaya Moyo said the invitation extended to President Mugabe demonstrated the closeness of the Sandinistas to Zanu-PF in scope and ideology.

‘‘I just got a message from the President that I have to leave for Nicaragua together with Cde Sekeramayi.

"This invitation coming as it does on the heels of the ANC centenary celebrations here serves to demonstrate the closeness of the liberation movements not only regionally but globally," he said.

‘‘As liberation movements, we have a lot of interference from imperialist surrogates who are sponsored from abroad."We have to close ranks by constantly being in touch with each other, and sharing notes.''

The ANC centenary celebrations were held Sunday amid pomp and fanfare with Vice President Joice Mujuru joining 46 other heads of state and government in celebrating the ANC's 100 years of existence.

In his address to the delegates who filled Magaung Stadium to the brim, ANC president Jacob Zuma chronicled the history of the ANC from its launch at a humble hall here to the continental force it has become today.

President Zuma outlined how South Africa's independence would not have been possible without the assistance of its neighbours in Southern Africa and countries as far afield as Cuba and the Nordic countries.

He expressed tribute to all families that lost relations during the apartheid regime's cross-border forays into the region in search of ANC bases.

He extended his gratitude to Zimbabwe for the assistance rendered in housing ANC cadres during the fight against apartheid.

‘‘We thank our brothers in Zimbabwe, and the veterans who fought in Zimbabwe during the 1967 Wankie-Sipolilo Campaign . . . We also pay tribute to Malawi, Angola, Mozambique whose people died during the South African army's cross-border raids in search of MK bases.''

After his address, Cde Zuma lit the centenary flame that will be taken to each of South Africa's nine provinces to remind the people of the cost of freedom.

ANC secretary-general Baleka Mbete told delegates that each province would keep the flame for a month, moving it from district to district.

As part of the celebrations, the ANC has dedicated each of the months of 2012 to celebrating the legacy of the party's 12 presidents.

After his address, President Zuma sent the crowd into a frenzy with a rendition of the popular anti-apartheid song, "Senzeni Na", before launching into the controversial "Dubula iBhunu (Kill the Boer)" that was recently declared "hate-speech'' by the SA Supreme Court.

Delegates in the grandstands sang along and cheered whenever Malema was featured on the big screens around the stadium.