06 Apr Statement By Tambo Foundation On Current Developments In South African Politics – 06 April 2017
The Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation was established in 2010 to preserve, promote, and advance the legacy of Oliver and Adelaide Tambo in order to contribute towards national development and strengthen democracy. This is the mandate that guides our work.
The year 2017 has been declared the year of Oliver Reginald Tambo, marking what would have been his 100th birthday, had he lived until October 27th, 2017.
The Foundation is deeply concerned by the disunity, conflict and uncertainty generated by the political events of the last few days.
During his 30 years in exile, comrade O.R. united the Movement. He fought tirelessly to keep the ANC intact before bringing it back to South Africa, where it successfully participated in the country’s first all-inclusive election and formed the first democratic, post-apartheid government. His success is largely credited to, amongst others, his ability to listen and engage with the concerns of all comrades, by staying true to the core values of the ANC, and his personal integrity and discipline in serving his people. Sadly, these values appear to have been disregarded in the manner in which leaders of the Movement recently engaged with the difficult issues facing the country.
Alluding broadly to the challenges we would certainly encounter along the way after gaining political power from the apartheid regime, O.R. once prophetically said:
“Comrades, you might think it is very difficult to wage a liberation struggle. Wait until you are in power. I might be dead by then. At that stage, you will realize that it is actually more difficult to keep the power than to wage a liberation war. People will be expecting a lot of services from you. You will have to satisfy the various demands of the masses of our people. In the process, be prepared to learn from other people’s revolutions. Learn from the enemy also. The enemy is not necessarily doing everything wrongly. You may take his right tactics and use them to your advantage. At the same time, avoid repeating the enemy’s mistakes.”
It is with much sorrow that we see that the great organisation that O.R. and Adelaide helped to build is now engulfed in deep internal divisions. We, therefore, reaffirm our hope and expectation that the profound values for which O.R. and Adelaide stood, will triumph. These are the values of honesty, integrity, selflessness, openness, and an unequivocal repudiation of any form of corruption. The ANC they led inspired hope, not revulsion. Let us start now and re-build that organisation. Let the hope return!
Should the members and leaders of the ANC destroy the movement by disregarding its values and principles, then loyalty to the ANC that O.R. helped build, demands support for those who seek to vindicate them, and not for those bent on capturing it for self-advancement.
As a people, we owe it to O.R. to stand up and be counted in protecting the hard-won freedoms and liberation from oppression that he delivered. We at the Foundation urge all South Africans, beneficiaries of his sacrifices and vision, to take guidance from this set of values and principles as we develop strategies and programs to rid our country of corruption and self-seeking in pursuance of the unity, stability, and growth of our fledgling democracy.
AMANDLA! MAATLA! A LUTA CONTINUA!
“Nothing can destroy the ANC except for the ANC itself”
OR Tambo
Signed: Frene Ginwala (Acting-Chairperson) | Duma Nkosi (Deputy-Chairperson) | Mondli Gungubele | Pallo Jordan | Archbishop Thabo Makgoba | Mavuso Msimang | Beverley Penny | Albie Sachs | Derrick Swartz | Tembi Tambo-Kingston | Dali Tambo | Rachel Tambo | Mvuyo Tom
Trustees: Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation
Enquiries:
Linda Vilakazi (CEO)
0118802680 | linda@tambofoundation.org.za