Adelaide Tambo
Encyclopedia
Adelaide "Mama" Tambo was a prominent anti-apartheid activist, political exile, and regarded as a hero of the liberation struggle against apartheid in South Africa
.
Born as Adelaide Frances Tshukudu, she was affectionately known as Mama Tambo in South Africa
. She was involved in South African politics for five decades and was married to the late Oliver Tambo
, president of the African National Congress
(ANC), from 1956 until his death from a stroke in 1993. They had three (3) children; one of whom, their son, Dali, is a television talk-show personality.
Following the end of apartheid, she served as a member of parliament from 1994 to 1999.
Adelaide Tambo received the Order of the Baobab in Gold
, one of the highest honours bestowed by the post-1994 South African government. The South African Anglican Church awarded her the Order of Simon of Cyrene
, the highest award given to laypeople for distinguished service.
Tambo died on 31 January 2007, aged 77 at her home in Johannesburg, South Africa from undisclosed causes.
She was buried next to her husband in her home town of Wattville
on 10 February 2007. The service was held in a stadium and led by Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane
. Among the thousands of mourners were presidents Thabo Mbeki
and Nelson Mandela
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Born as Adelaide Frances Tshukudu, she was affectionately known as Mama Tambo in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. She was involved in South African politics for five decades and was married to the late Oliver Tambo
Oliver Tambo
Oliver Reginald Tambo was a South African anti-apartheid politician and a central figure in the African National Congress .-Biography:Oliver Tambo was born in Bizana in eastern Pondoland in what is now Eastern Cape...
, president of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC), from 1956 until his death from a stroke in 1993. They had three (3) children; one of whom, their son, Dali, is a television talk-show personality.
Following the end of apartheid, she served as a member of parliament from 1994 to 1999.
Adelaide Tambo received the Order of the Baobab in Gold
Order of the Baobab
The Order of the Baobab is a South African honour. It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and is granted by the president of South Africa for service to South Africa in the following fields: business and the economy, science, medicine and technological innovation, and community service...
, one of the highest honours bestowed by the post-1994 South African government. The South African Anglican Church awarded her the Order of Simon of Cyrene
Order of Simon of Cyrene
The Order of Simon of Cyrene is the highest award given by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa to laity for distinguished service. It was established in 1960, during the reign of Archbishop Joost de Blank, following a proposal by Bishop Robert Selby Taylor. Membership in the Order is limited...
, the highest award given to laypeople for distinguished service.
Tambo died on 31 January 2007, aged 77 at her home in Johannesburg, South Africa from undisclosed causes.
She was buried next to her husband in her home town of Wattville
Wattville
Wattville is a township south of Benoni in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan municipality, Gauteng, South Africa. It was established in 1941, and by 1948, 400 houses were built on 34 hectares. After 1948, building stopped as it was threatened with destruction. This was because it was considered too close to...
on 10 February 2007. The service was held in a stadium and led by Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane
Njongonkulu Ndungane
Njongonkulu Winston Hugh Ndungane FKC was the Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa ....
. Among the thousands of mourners were presidents Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
and Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
External links
- Obituary, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 2 February 2007 - Obituary, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 2 February 2007 - Obituary, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 2 February 2007
Further reading
- Short biography of Adelaide Tambo on SAhistory.org.za.
- PBS interview with Adelaide Tambo about Nelson Mandela.
- Adelaide Tambo's political profile on the website of the ANCAfrican National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
.