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| Getrude Tambo.
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by Khaya Magenu
05 February 2010
HE might have played a significant role in fighting for the liberation of the country like Rholihlahla Nelson Mandela, but his home and family as well as the people of Nkantolo rural village at Mbizana near the Wild Coast International Sun in the Eastern Cape, from where he originates, reaped nothing from the sweat of his political struggle.
The home of Oliver Tambo, former and longest serving ANC President, is a disgrace, comprising four appalling old rondavels and one flat. There is still no indication that the promises by the government to refurbish his home, will be met after fifteen years of democracy. The government might have honoured him by renaming Johannesburg international Airport as OR Tambo International Airport and creating the OR Tambo District Municipality, which also includes his home village, but the conditions of his home and the surrounds, hardly reflect the dignity and importance of this man.
Tambo dedicated his life to the apartheid struggle and many of those years were spent in exile. One wonders what he would think today, were he around to see his home. They might call their local High School OR Tambo, but there nothing is being done by the government to assist the community, leaving it to the members to contribute R100 per person to build the school and make sure that their children receive a quality education.
The road to the village is gravel and only the half km on the way to OR Tambo’s home is tarred. There is no proper school building, no clean water and the school relies on water fetched from the streams and dams. The nearest clinics are at Ndela and Silangwe rural villages, which are far from them.
“Our hearts are broken - there is nothing to show that OR Tambo dedicated his life for the poor people because we are still living in poor conditions,” said OR Tambo’s sister, Gertrude Tambo. She said that the government fabricated and wasted millions of rands on building the OR Tambo Monument, but the community does not benefit in any meaningful way from it. She revealed that sometimes, her family sleeps without food because no one is working and eleven people rely on her R1000 pension grant.
The family now says that enough is enough and they are tired of the politicians using OR Tambo’s legacy for their own benefit. They say that the politicians pick them up from their home when they have a function, but after the function, they are dumped like a bag of maize. “I wish that one day, my brother (OR Tambo) could wake up from the grave and observe how poor his family are, after he fought for freedom for his country,” said Gertrude.
Family spokesperson Andile Matomane, also expressed concern and dissatisfaction, saying that they have been neglected by the government of the ANC. He said they won’t show any improvement or gain from OR Tambo’s struggle hero legacy because they are still suffering to survive. “The question still remains why after all he did in the struggle, his family is still poor,” asked Matomane. He said that the bad living conditions at Nkantolo rural village that brought OR Tambo to Johannesburg and to exile are still the same conditions today. He said that there is nothing to show that he worked very hard for his country and, while they do not want to compare themselves with other people, they are saying that the time has come to honuor their hero. He revealed that in 2007, former President, Thabo Mbeki sent Rev Frank Chikane to Nkantolo village and he told them he was amazed at their bad living conditions but nothing has changed.
Meanwhile, ANC pokesperson, Mlibo Qoboshiyane said that the district municipality is working closely with the family to assist them. He revealed that improvements to OR Tambo’s home are already in government’s pipeline and the ANC is working to make sure that the problems are attended to. |
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