Speaking at the Tamboville Cemetery in Wattville, Zuma hailed Tambo as a unifiying visionary who wanted to see the African National Congress (ANC) and the entire country move past the shackles of racial barriers.
“Mama Adelaide was more than a leader to us. She was a pillar of strength, a mother figure and a disciplinarian. She took good care of us,” Zuma said.
Tambo would have turned 98-years-old on October 27 and the annual wreath laying ceremony also takes the form of a birthday celebration.
The host, Ekurhuleni Mayor Clr Mondli Gungubele, was joined by scores of distinguished guests including Graça Machel, former mayor and representative of the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation, Duma Nkosi, the mayor of Mbizana Local Municipality, Clr Makhaya Twabu, and Gauteng Premier, David Makhura.
“We are very honoured to celebrate this special day with President Zuma in our midst, as we are gathered here to celebrate an immortal and imperishable memory of the late Tambo. Memories are meant to be treasured, thus a country that lacks memory of its leaders stands the risk of perishing,” said Gungubele.
President Zuma further urged Clr Twabu to take a page from Ekurhuleni’s book and build Tambo a monument to honour his birth place.
