President Thabo Mbeki on Friday laid a wreath at the grave of the parents of former African National Congress (ANC) stalwart Oliver Tambo on a rural hillside in the Mbizana district of Transkei.
The wreath-laying came ahead of a presidential imbizo that will include a public meeting and a report back on the functioning of the Oliver Tambo district municipality.
The grave is in a Garden of Remembrance overlooking a valley that runs through Nkantolo Village where Tambo was born and where a sister, Gertrude, still lives.
Mbeki chose traditional Pondo dress for the occasion, wearing a blue mqhele or headscarf and a beaded waistcoat.
The event also saw the unveiling of a black granite headstone bearing the names of Tambo’s parents Lokomani and Julia, and the words ”In memory of the couple that gave birth to the finest son that South Africa has ever seen”.
Mbeki, Eastern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela, Gertrude Tambo and Tambo’s son Dali all laid wreaths made up of yellow flowers with black and green ribbons — the colours of the ANC.
An army band provided the music for the occasion and the South African National Defence Force also set a guard of honour at the graveside.
There was moment of minor embarrassment when the South African flag, on a temporary flagpole, refused to rise, as a trumpeter played the reveille.
The headstone was erected by the Oliver Tambo municipality.
Tambo — who is buried in Johannesburg — led the ANC in exile for 24 years, playing a major role in the growth and development of the movement and its policies.
Ironically, the district municipality that carries his name is the poorest in South Africa; 88% of households live below the minimum poverty level. — Sapa