Publications
Partners
The Eastern Cape provincial government says it is saddened by a bus accident that injured eight people, six of them critically, as they were on the way to the OR Tambo centenary celebrations today.
The accident happened less than 7km from where the OR Tambo 100 year celebrations were taking place at Nkantolo Technical High School.
President Jacob Zuma gave the keynote speech in honour of the late struggle icon, who would have turned 100 years today.
Phumulo Masualle, premier of Eastern Cape, said the province sympathised with the affected people.
“We are happy that no lives were lost. I am aware that the people were attended to by our emergency services. We are looking forward to them recovering very soon ... We really regret that we had such an incident when people were coming to celebrate this important day.
“Accidents do happen but surely it’s not one of those things we wish to see,” Masualle said.
He added that he was not aware of any problems with the bus but hoped that an investigation would shed light on the circumstances that led to the accident.
Pemmy Majodina, MEC of sports, recreation, arts and culture in the province, said six of the people who were critical in the accident were taken to St Patrick’s Hospital.
“No one can justify an accident. I don’t really know the circumstances but it was at a very sharp curve. I think the driver lost control but I cannot be certain about that,” Majodina said.
Meanwhile, thousands braved the chilly Friday whether to celebrate the celebrations of the longest serving president of the ANC, who died on the eve of democracy on April 24, 1993.
Tambo died as a result of stroke at the age of 75.
His birthplace of Nkantolo on Friday saw thousands coming from different walks of life gather at the small village to celebrate the “life and legacy” of the global icon.
Five large marquees were erected at the grounds of Nkantolo Technical High School. President Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, ministers, deputy ministers, traditional leaders, MPLs and MPs, the clergy and business people formed part of the remarkable event.
Majodina, who was the organiser of the event in the province and the day’s programme director along with minister in the presidency Jeff Radebe, put the number of those who attended the celebrations in Nkantolo at 28 000.
Zuma, reading from a prepared speech, described Tambo as an illustrious leader for the struggle for the liberation of the people of South Africa, a father and national hero.
“As a boy growing up on the shadows of Engeli mountains, OR Tambo herded cattle and learned the ways of his people. He learned the values of Ubuntu and communal living. He was deeply moved by the experience of the living conditions and political life of his community, near and far,” he said.
Zuma said Tambo dedicated his life to the upliftment and empowerment of the people early on in his life and that he was already active in community organisations by age 16 when he became secretary of the Bizana Students Association.
“He pursued this life of political and social activism even when he arrived at the University of Fort Hare as a student, where he met other leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe.
Tambo excelled in his studies and passed his junior certificate with a first class. At Fort Hare he graduated with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and physics, Zuma said.
Zuma said the arrest of Mandela in 1962, and that of the MK high command, left OR Tambo and a few other senior leaders of the ANC and alliance partners the primary responsibility to keep the whole movement, inside and outside the borders of South Africa, united and in fighting form.
“Lesser individuals would have despaired and even given up to pursue less stressful assignments as part-time revolutionaries. But comrade Tambo undertook this enormous responsibility with the strength of an elephant, razor-sharp focus and unequalled wisdom. He also remained humble, treating everyone he interacted with as the most important people he had come across,” said Zuma.
 |
| ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
