The African National Congress will bestow the party's highest honour, Isithwalandwe, on the late Chris Hani during the party's national heroes day celebrations in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

Free State ANC spokesperson Teboho Sikisi said on Friday that the slain SACP general-secretary's wife and children were expected to receive the award from party president Jacob Zuma.

The ANC had organised a commemoration service by uniformed members of Umkhonto We Sizwe (the spear of the nation) (MK), the party's former military wing, at Heroes Acre in Phahameng. This would be followed by a mass rally at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium.

Sikisi said it would be MK's 47th anniversary.

Previous recipients of Isithwalandwe were Albert Luthuli and Father Trevor Huddleston 1955, Govan Mbeki in 1980, Oliver Reginald Tambo in 1992, Joe Slovo in 1994 and Ray Alexander Simons in 2004.

The day's celebrations included a commemorative service by uniformed MK members at Heroes Acre, followed by a MK veterans' march to the stadium.

Zuma was expected to address the crowd sometime after noon.

The ANC's 16 December celebration would fall on the last day of the inaugural conference of the new political movement Congress of the People, also in Bloemfontein. Cope would be meeting at the University of the Free State campus in the city from Sunday to Tuesday.

On 16 December, Cope planned to adopt its conference resolutions and declaration.

Cope's newly-elected president would also address the conference.