24 April 2003
The 9th anniversary of Freedom Day (27 April) coincides with the tenth anniversary of the death of a giant of the struggle and late President General of the African National Congress, Comrade Oliver Reginald Tambo. For this reason, the South African Communist Party dedicates its statement for this year’s Freedom Day to the memory and honour of Tambo. Oliver Tambo died from a stroke during the night of 23 April 1993 a few days after the funeral of Chris Hani (held on 19 April 1993).
At a tumultuous time in the country's history, barely two weeks after the murder of Hani, the death of Oliver Tambo was deeply saddening for a country already in shock. Tambo, who had led the liberation struggle for three decades, passed away on the eve of the democratic breakthrough to which he had dedicated his life.
He would be proud at the many achievements scored since April 1994. He would also be equally concerned about the many challenges and problems we face – poverty, unemployment, socio-economic inequalities, the scourge of HIV/AIDS, exploitative working conditions faced by millions of workers, crime, corruption and many more challenges. Tambo knew that freedom entailed much more than a democratic framework. He fought against apartheid “in order to assert the dignity of all men and women across the oceans, on all the continents, permanently and unequivocally.” (Tambo’s words at the funeral of Moses Mabhida, former SACP General Secretary, on 29 March 1986, Maputo).
The SACP calls on all South Africans to use this year’s Freedom Day to honour Oliver Reginald Tambo by redoubling all our efforts to ensure that we build a better life for all our people as a lasting monument to this great son of the soil. The SACP calls on all South Africans not to ever forget Oliver Tambo. We need many more streets, building and institutions named in honour and remembrance of this hero of our people!
But Tambo was not just a South African figure. He was a highly respected African internationalist who stood on the side of all oppressed people in the world.
Speaking at Tambo’s funeral held on May Day 1993, Nelson Mandela said Oliver Tambo lived because he had surrendered his very being to the people. He said: "While the ANC lives, Oliver Tambo cannot die! Oliver Tambo cannot die while his allies in the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions remain loyal to the common purpose. O.R. cannot cease to be, while the millions of our people gather themselves into the democratic organisations that make up our own rainbow coalition.”
The SACP holds Tambo in the highest regard. He led the ANC and our revolutionary alliance through some of the struggle's darkest moments. Yet his leadership and vision was responsible for bringing South Africa to the verge of a negotiated end to apartheid. He oversaw the rebuilding of the structures of the ANC following the devastating repression of the early 1960s. He nurtured the growth and consolidation of a common alliance perspective in the struggle against apartheid. Over many years he worked to mobilise the international community to oppose and isolate the Pretoria regime, building a powerful and vocal global movement against the system of apartheid.
At the funeral of Moses Mabhida, Tambo said “the durability of the alliance between the ANC, the Communist Party and the trade union movement lay in strengthening each as an independent formation and in securing their cooperation on an entirely voluntary basis”.
This is how the SACP knew and remembers Oliver Reginald Tambo.
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information & Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel - 011 339-3621/2, Fax – 011 339-4244,Cell - 083 651 0271
Email - mazibuko@sacp.org.za