By Roy Lie A Tjam.
“Man of magnitude”, words that cannot get uttered without the name Oliver Reginald Tambo coming to mind. A man whose valor tokened the freedom of black South Africans and gracefully fueled the birth of a united South Africa. A South Africa that would, as in his words, belong to all of its people just as all its people belonged to it.
On 31 October 2017, a memorial lecture held by Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, Minister of Water and Sanitation, took place in Wassenaar, in celebration of the centenary of the birth of this African maverick. Oliver Reginald Tambo, affectionately known as O.R. would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year.
An excerpt of Minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s speech now follows: “It was only last week on the 27th October 2017 that South Africa and the rest of world celebrated the centenary of Oliver Reginald Tambo, the longest serving President of the African National Congress – a patriot par excellence and a real leader of the national liberation movement in its broad sense.
It was the generation of leaders such as Luthuli, Mandela, Sisulu, Tambo and many others who led the ANC during the momentous decades of the 1950s and the 1960s which saw the ANC leading the Defiance Campaign of 1952 and the adoption of the Freedom Charter by the Congress of the People in Kliptown in 1955.”
H.E. Ambassador Bruce Kolane’s invitation, was honored by many ambassadors as they believed that the South African luminary was nothing short of deserving of celebration for the bridges, of unity, that he had built in his country and across the world.
Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, who was also the guest of honor, held a very stirring lecture. One that had tears welling up in the eyes of those who were engrossed in her speech. To cement the depth of her words, a diplomat exclaimed, “I was never told such details before”, shortly afterwards.
As a conclusion very suited to point, the guests were treated to a South African style reception, complete with the famous boerewors and other snacks. After all, what better way is there to know someone better if not through their food?
“Oliver Tambo, a great giant who strode the globe like a colossus”.
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Pictures by the Embassy of South Africa.
