President Cyril Ramaphosa has described former African National Congress president Oliver Tambo as an architect of South Africa’s freedom upon unveiling a nine-metre tall bronze statue at the OR Tambo Airport on Tuesday morning.
The statue unveiling forms part of Tambo’s birthday celebrations, who would have been 103 years today.
President @CyrilRamaphosa with @City_Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor @MzwandileMasina, Dali Tambo, Rachael Tambo, Transport Minister @MbalulaFikile and @SportArtsCultur Minister @NathiMthethwaSA during the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Oliver Reginald Tambo #ORTambo pic.twitter.com/nhVTAwsdhk
— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) October 27, 2020
Tambo led the ANC in exile under difficult times and delivered numerous landmark speeches to the UN General Assembly calling for action against the apartheid government.
Ramaphosa says the statue stands as a “symbol of triumph as a nation over injustice thanks to the good, brave and principled men like Oliver Tambo”.
In the video below, President Cyril Ramaphosa says erecting Tambo’s statue affirms the importance of preserving South Africa’s heritage and remembering and honouring fallen heroes:
In erecting this statue we affirm the importance of preserving our heritage for the benefit of future generations. But we are also telling the world we have not forgotten our heroes.https://t.co/2GMGJAuEPu
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) October 27, 2020
