Thousands gathered at Wattville Stadium on the East Rand on Saturday for the funeral of African National Congress (ANC) stalwart Adelaide Tambo, who died on January 31 aged 77.
Tambo seeded the forest of freedom, her son, Dali, told mourners. His mother had bounded with energy, love and passion until her last moment. ”I knew it would come, but I dreaded this day,” he said.
She taught her grandchildren that integrity, honesty, kindness and generosity of self were values to strive for, her granddaughter Theodora said. ”There is a void in our lives now,” she added.
South Africa’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Lindiwe Mabuza, said there had been no end to Tambo’s giving. ”We learnt from our role model what is expected of us.”
Tambo represented a greatness of spirit that made the ANC a great organisation, said former president Nelson Mandela. ”Adelaide was an activist and freedom fighter in her own right and she was a mother to the liberation movement in exile,” he said.
He called for a return to those values in the ”challenging times” in the life of the organisation. Her death should urge all ANC members to strive for unity and put the well-being of the organisation above all personal and sectarian interests, Mandela said.
Kind and loving
Crowd members described Tambo as a kind and loving mother who was always concerned about the well-being of her fellow countrymen.
”Mama Tambo was the one who pressurised government to ensure that disabled people received grants,” said Keledi Relo, from the West Rand. ”She always held the fight for rights of the disabled close to her heart.”
Oscar Mudimeli, a branch secretary of the South African Students Congress (Sasco) at the University of Venda, said Tambo had touched his heart with her motherly love. ”She was a mother to everyone. It is sad that we have to lose our ANC leaders like this, but what can we do? She truly deserves the title of mother of the nation.”
Among the crowd were four tourists from the United States who had detoured to attend the funeral. ”When we arrived in Cape Town to go to Robben Island, we saw posters saying Adelaide Tambo had died and decided to go to the memorial service in Cape Town,” said Laura Eve.
”We decided to cancel our planned visits and fly to Johannesburg for the funeral since we have heard so much about her husband, [the late ANC leader] Oliver Tambo,” she added.
Professor Roy McCleod, from New York University, said they also wanted to see Mandela at the funeral. ”We feel so blessed to have seen Mandela in person, as it has
always been our wish.”
Top brass
Members of the Tambo family were greeted on arrival by President Thabo Mbeki, Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya, Minister of Arts and Culture Pallo Jordan and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad. Members of the Anglican Church also greeted them as they filed past.
Mandela was seated on stage with his wife, Graca Machel, as crowds moved into the stadium.
The road leading into Wattville and to the stadium was lined with posters bearing Tambo’s face and naming her as an ambassador of the poor.
Earlier, ANC supporters at the stadium heckled and booed Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters who had arrived late for the funeral. About 50 IFP supporters wearing T-shirts bearing the face of leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi and carrying flags of the IFP party were told to leave by the ANC supporters.
”What are you doing here? You don’t belong here,” said one mourner wearing a South African Students Congress T-shirt. ”We can be militant if we want to. We don’t need you here. Please go to your own party event.”
The marshals calmed the crowd and the IFP supporters went to sit on the far east side of the stadium.
Life in service
Tambo became involved in politics at the age of 10 after her grandfather was beaten by police.
By 18 she was a branch chairperson of the ANC and spent her life participating in the party’s resistance to apartheid.
She was also later married to the party’s leader, Oliver.
The ANC said earlier this week that it expected 10 000 people to attend the funeral.
Mandela would deliver a message of condolence and Mbeki would give the funeral speech at the stadium, ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama told a media briefing at the Tambos’ Johannesburg home on Thursday.
Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane would deliver the sermon.
”The funeral service will be a fitting tribute to an outstanding patriot and a heroine of the nation,” Ngonyama said. — Sapa