Today marks the centenary celebrations of the late ANC President Oliver Tambo.
Kaizana Tambo was born on the 17th October 1917, in the Eastern Cape. His second name ‘Oliver’ was given to him on his first day of school, after his teacher asked him to come to school with a new English name.
Tambo matriculated in 1936 from St Peter’s in Johannesburg, and studied at Fort Hare University. He obtained a BSc in maths and science.
He became an active member of the African National Congress (ANC) while teaching in Johannesburg, forming the Youth League and becoming its first national secretary in 1944.
To celebrate his life and time, government has declared the year 2017 – A Year of OR Tambo.
South Africans took to Twitter to celebrate Tambo:
Today President OR Tambo would have been 100 years. A liberator of our people unparalleled pic.twitter.com/5lHdzHdTeu
— Olwethu Sipuka (@osipuka) October 27, 2017
OLIVER REGINALD TAMBO – A TRUE SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE AND EMBODIMENT OF THE PURSUIT OF THE NDR #ORTambo100 pic.twitter.com/SfPwXzW1io
— African National Congress (@MYANC) October 27, 2017
Good morning , today we celebrate the life and legacy of OR Tambo #ORTambo100 @NYDARSA @GCISMedia @StatsSA pic.twitter.com/tm2lG6L9DS
— DPME (@DpmeOfficial) October 27, 2017
A great giant who strode the globe like a colossus #ORTambo100 pic.twitter.com/fl43SgWjPa
— African National Congress (@MYANC) October 27, 2017
Statement of the Alliance Political Council meeting held on the 26th October 2017 pic.twitter.com/awU9lnJxOz
— African National Congress (@MYANC) October 27, 2017