I did this hoping to give them a history lesson. To my surprise my 10-year-old daughter, Mikayla, gave me a history lesson as she had learned about OR Tambo at school.
We have come a long way as a country when our children can teach us about our past. This is especially significant in October as this month is dedicated by the City of Ekurhuleni as OR Tambo Month.
October was selected to remember OR Tambo as it marks the birthday of this South African leader. October is also internationally recognized as Black History Month and is celebrated internationally. For many of us this is a part of our history that we never had an opportunity to learn about, so I was filled with pride that my daughter could tell me about the significance of OR Tambo.
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October is a highlight in the Ekurhuleni calendar as it creates the platform for the community to reflect on the life and legacy of OR Tambo, a real-life hero that our children learn about in school today. Oliver Reginald Tambo was not born in Ekurhuleni but our city was home to the Tambo family after their return from exile in Britain. For many of our residents October is a month of celebrating OR Tambo and his invaluable contribution to the realisation of the freedom and democracy we enjoy as a nation.
In celebrating the legacy of this struggle icon, the City of Ekurhuleni has planned a month-long program of activities that aim to inspire humanism, inclusiveness and unity amongst the citizens of Ekurhuleni in honor of the OR Tambo legacy.
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Ekurhuleni leads a global celebration of OR Tambo that include the Lewisham Municipality in Great Britain and the OR Tambo District Municipality in the Eastern Cape where OR Tambo was born.
Celebrating the life of OR Tambo reflects more than just Ekurhuleni’s dedication to the roots of our City and reflects the dedication we share as a City for social cohesion and the future of our nation as our lessons and future roadmap lays edged in our past. Residents are invited to participate in the celebrations as it seeks to foster unity and social cohesion amongst all the people of Ekurhuleni.
