The ultimate father figure

One thing I will always remember about Oliver Reginald Tambo, besides his great intellect and leadership skills, is the influence and effect he had on the lives of so many people. The mere mention of his name inspired and motivated thousands, including very young children.

My first experience of working with OR was in 1961 when I got to Dar es Salaam. I did a lot of typing for him in the ANC office. It was during this time that I met former President Chissano in the Frelimo offices as I used to carry messages for OR to the late Frelimo President Eduardo Mondlane. It was an honour and privilege to serve under OR during that period. Getting to know him on a personal level only further increased my respect and admiration for him.

In 1981 I received a letter from OR requesting me to travel to Nigeria to try to influence the Nigerian government to allow the Amandla Group to perform in that country. It was greatly humbling that he entrusted me with such an important assignment. It showed his belief that women are equal to men and that they can perform any task just as well.

While living in Botswana during the 1980s my daughter, Tshedi, belonged to the ANC children’s wing, Masupatsela, which means ‘young warriors”. They were taught political songs in praise of prominent activists such as Oliver Tambo. Tshedi’s favourite song, which I heard her singing many times at home, was:

Uphi uTambo

He’s training soldiers.]

This song was in praise of Comrade Oliver Tambo and Tshedi was so obsessed with it that she even taught her Norwegian childhood friend to sing it with her. I was amazed and very proud that at such a young age my daughter knew the name and history of one of Africa’s greatest sons and that she took immense pride in being able to sing a song about her hero.

I witnessed this same pride and admiration at a later stage. Comrade Tambo suffered a stroke in 1989 and was flown to Sweden for treatment. On his return to London, Lindiwe Mabuza and myself would often visit Comrade Tambo to see that he was being taken care of and if there were anything that we could do for him. I experienced him as someone with immense compassion, humility and patience. It was on these visits that I encountered one of OR’s bodyguards, whose name was Mhengu. In my dealings with Mhengu I noticed that he spoke with the same admiration of Tambo as my daughter had done a few years previously. I could see in his eyes and hear in his voice that he had the utmost respect for and loyalty to Tambo. If necessary, he was willing to sacrifice his own life to protect his leader.

I firmly believe that confirmation of a truly humble and great leader will always find expression in the loyalty shown by those closest to him. Oliver Tambo will definitely be remembered as such a man. He treated everyone with the utmost respect and dignity. Not once did I hear anybody saying anything bad about him. As is normal, people will always criticise decisions taken by leaders, but when it came to OR’s interactions with other human beings no one could point a finger at him. He treated even his biggest enemies with humility, patience and respect. At conferences and consultations he listened very patiently and carefully to people who defended the apartheid system. He always allowed them to have their say before he replied. This is testimony to the character of a great leader who respected human beings no matter what their convictions.

In 1993 South Africa stood on the doorstep of democracy when two great tragedies befell our nation. These two events could have plunged us into a civil war. On Easter Saturday in 1993 Comrade Chris Hani was assassinated and shortly thereafter, on 23 April 1993, Oliver Tambo passed away. I felt as if democracy was going to slip through our fingers. We were on the brink of losing everything that we had been working so hard for. It felt to me as if there was a dark cloud hanging over the country. I kept asking myself the same questions: ‘OR, what are we going to do now? Why don’t you wake up and help us?”

Then it dawned on me that OR had not forsaken us. His spirit lived on in our leaders who remained calm in those dark days and led us on to freedom. Through his leadership he had instilled these qualities in our leaders and now they were paying homage to him by acting in a manner that would have made him immensely proud.

I also remember OR as a man who made good on his promises. I recently realised that promises that he had made while he was alive, but could not fulfil during his lifetime, are being honoured today, so many years after he departed.

Moses Mabhida was a senior leader of the ANC, the SACP, MK and the South African Congress of Trade Unions. He was someone in the forefront of the liberation struggle. When he died of natural causes in Maputo, in 1986, he was given a state funeral. Mozambique’s first President, Samora Machel, and the then leader of the ANC, Oliver Tambo, agreed that Mabhida’s resting place in Maputo’s Lhanguene cemetery would only be temporary. They promised the two nations that after the liberation of South Africa, the body of Comrade Mabhida would be exhumed and taken to South Africa. I am proud to say that OR’s promise has now been fulfilled. The remains of Moses Mabhida were exhumed and repatriated to his hometown in South Africa on 23 November 2006. Sadly OR died before he could witness the birth of a democratic South Africa, and before he could witness the fulfilment of his promise to the Mabhida family and the people of South Africa.

I will fondly remember OR as a leader, a freedom fighter, a comrade, and a humble and respectful human being. Most of all, I will remember him as a father figure who provided us with guidance and direction and treated all of us with gentleness.

Competition
Three copies of Oliver Tambo Remembered are on offer in the Mail & Guardian / Macmillan Competition.

To enter, email your answer to the question below to [email protected]

The winner will be published on the books pages of M&G‘s Friday section on November 30.

Question: On what mission to Nigeria did OR Tambo send Thandi Lujabe-Rankoe?