Zuma honours the legacy of the Tambos
President Jacob Zuma described Oliver Tambo as a "perfect leader" and Adelaide Tambo as "a mother of a nation", at the wreath-laying ceremony held annually to honour the freedom fighters.
The wreath-laying ceremony was held in the Tamboville Cemetery, in Wattville, on October 27 – on what would have been O R’s 98th birthday.
Various dignitaries attended the ceremony, including Mondli Gungubele (Ekurhuleni mayor), David Makhura (Gauteng Premier), Graça Machel (former first lady) and Dali Tambo, with his wife, Rachel.
Zuma said women of today should take time to learn from Adelaide Tambo and the manner in which she carried herself.
“We cannot think of the struggle without thinking of her, especially because of the challenges faced by women in the country today,” said Zuma.
“O R made his mark in the manner in which he led, he made us learn from what he stood for.”
Zuma said Tambo was trusting and did not see anything that was never there in a person.
He was the leader of the African National Congress for 30 years, while he was in South Africa and in exile.
The wreath-laying event forms part of O R Tambo Commemoration Month, in celebration of his legacy.
