The month-long celebrations undertaken by the Ekurhuleni metro for the late Oliver Reginald (OR) Tambo culminated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tamboville Cemetary in Wattville on October 27, where President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address.
Also in attendance was Ekurhuleni’s executive mayor, Mzwandile Masina, and Premier of Gauteng David Makhura.
According to metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe, the celebrations formed part of a means of preserving the legacy of OR Tambo and his wife, Adelaide.
Hosted under the theme Celebrating the 90th Birthday of Mama Adelaide Tambo, scores of people from the surrounding area showed their support to the ideals Tambo had in terms of leadership and equality.
During his address, Ramaphosa reminded attendees of the values Tambo stood for, which included serving the public without personal gain, selflessness, equality for all and unity.
“We should all seek to walk in his footsteps and act like him,” said Ramaphosa.
“Tambo envisioned serving for the people’s betterment and not for personal gain.”
Ramaphosa said he would continue to work towards including this vision and values in his leadership, especially in addressing challenges in the country and the bettering of the economy.
The president also highlighted gender-based violence issues and an emphasis was placed on the youth and education.
“Fight for your future and put in the effort,” he said.
Masina said it was impossible to enjoy a democratic South Africa without remembering struggle icons.
He also spoke on the current state of leadership within the ruling party and said the principals and values Oliver Tambo stood for should become common practice in modern leadership.
Talks of a university being built in the Ekurhuleni metro in the future was also mentioned and Ramaphosa said the project has his support.
