Mama Adelaide Tambo joins the ancestors. Mama Adelaide was a leading member of the African National Congress Women's League and the wife of the late Oliver Tambo, the former acting President of the ANC.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos.
31 January 2007
It is with deep regret and a profound sense of loss that the African National Congress has learnt of the death this evening (31 January 2007) of Adelaide Tambo, widow of the late ANC President Oliver Tambo and an outstanding stalwart of our movement.
Adelaide Tambo collapsed at her home in Johannesburg this evening.
The ANC joins all South Africans in mourning the loss of a true heroine of our nation, a daughter of our soil who dedicated her life to the freedom of our people.
Together with all South Africans, the ANC extends heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Tambo family on this great loss.
Throughout the most difficult times of the struggle for democracy, Adelaide Tambo's strength, compassion and determination served as inspiration to generations of freedom fighters.
In a lifetime dedicated to the achievement of South Africa's liberation, Adelaide Tambo demonstrated fortitude in the face of adversity and responded selflessly to the sacrifices demanded of her and her family.
A political activist from a young age, Adelaide Tambo fought to ensure that women were an integral part of the liberation struggle and should assume their rightful place in society.
Adelaide Tambo was born on 18 July 1929 in Vereeniging's Top Location.
Her political life started at the age of 10 after a police raid following a riot in Top Location, in which a police officer had been killed. Tambo's ailing grandfather, aged 82, was among those arrested and marched to the town square. Here the old man collapsed. As she waited for him to regain consciousness, she swore to fight against the brutal treatment meted out against her grandfather.
At the time she was a primary school pupil at St Thomas Practising School in Johannesburg. Five years later, she started working for the ANC as a courier, while studying at Orlando High.
At the age of 18, Tambo joined the ANC Youth League and was almost immediately elected chairperson of the George Goch branch. Her early work involved opening branches of the Youth League in the Transvaal. Later, as a student nurse at Pretoria General Hospital, she started a branch of the Youth League with the help of people like Sheila Musi, Mildred Kuzwayo and Nonhle Zokwe.
She met the late Oliver Tambo at a meeting of the Eastern Township branch of the ANC and married him in December 1956, during the marathon Treason Trial.
Oliver and Adelaide Tambo were asked by the ANC to leave the country in 1960 and to carry on the work of the organisation outside South Africa. Based in London until the unbanning of the ANC, Tambo was a founder member of the Afro-Asian Solidarity Movement and the Pan-African Women's Organisation (PAWO). She also worked with International Defence and Aid Fund (IDAF) to identify and financially assist some of the families whose children left South Africa after 1976.
After her return to South Africa, Adelaide Tambo continued to serve the ANC, undertaking various responsibilities as a senior leader of the movement.
Issued by: African National Congress
More information: Smuts Ngonyama 082 994 2112
STATEMENT OF THE ANC WOMEN'S LEAGUE ON THE PASSING ON OF 'MAMA' ADELAIDE TAMBO
1 February 2007
The ANC Women's League has learned with a deep sense of sadness of the passing on of Mama Adelaide Tambo.
The League lowers its revolutionary banner in honour of this extraordinary leader and cadre of our movement.
Mama Tambo participated in ANC activities at a very tender age of 10 and rose within the movement and served in various capacities in the ANC and the ANCWL, but above all will be remembered for her service as the Treasurer General of the ANC Women's League from 1993 to 1997.
She has always been a source of inspiration and a pillar for our cadreship and leadership in the League and of course to ordinary women. Her love for her people defined her character as a person who was a Mother to all of us.
Mama Tambo was also an internationalist and will be remembered for her role in the Pan African Women Organisation and the World Federation for Democratic Women and United Kingdom Anti-Apartheid Movement.
She also assumed a role of a voice of women within the ANC. In this regard she will be remembered as one of the champions of 30% women representation in the structures of the ANC. Mama Tambo passes on as South Africa prepares to host the Conference of the Pan African Women's Organisation this year.
The ANC WL sadly yet fondly bids her farewell. We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and our glorious movement, the African Nation Congress.
Issued by:
ANC Women's League
3rd Floor, Albert Luthuli House
54 Sauer Street
Johannesburg
Contact: Charlotte Lobe - 0824968025
mndimande@anc.org.za
ANC YL STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF MA TAMBO
01 February 2007
It is with sadness, shock and feels with immense regrets to learn of the passing away of Mama Adelaide Tambo.
She was our mother,a founder of the ANC YL,a leader,a teacher and heroine of South Africa's struggle against oppressive regime,who inspired many young people in particular young women to join the struggle against apartheid. Ma Tambo was the only woman in attendance during the launch of ANC YL on the 10th September 1944, in Johannesburg, and since, she remained an active member of ANC YL as a young woman.
Our sincere condolences to the Tambo family,her children and friends, her death is a great loss to youth and to the nation
Lala ngoxolo Qhawekazi
More information contact
Zizi Kodwa @ 082 3304 910
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