The Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, Hon Lawrence John Sichalwe, has signed a Statutory Instrument for the provisional declaration of the Oliver Tambo House located at plot No. F/609/A/15, Chelston Green Area in Lusaka as National Monument.
The Minister was exercising his powers contained in section twenty seven of the National Heritage Conservation Commission Act Chapter 173 of the Laws of Zambia.
The residence nick named Phiri in those days, was occupied by Mr. Oliver Reginald Tambo a South African anti-apartheid politician and revolutionary who served as President of the African National Congress from 1967 to 1991. Oliver Tambo spent 22 years of his 33 years exile in Zambia mostly in this house.
This new heritage site is important as evidence and symbol of the role that Zambia played in ensuring that the whole of Southern Africa was independent from the various oppressive colonial and apartheid regimes. The First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, who liberated Zambia from colonialism, believed that Zambia’s independence was meaningless it its neighbours and the rest of Africa were not free hence his Government’s support for liberation movements from various Southern African Nations.
The assigning of this House to the Late Oliver Tambo by the Zambian Government was not just an honour to the freedom fighters but also a recognition of the Late Oliver Tambo as South Africa’s possible future President after independence who was fully in-charge of ANC when the Late Nelson Mandela whom he later handed over office to, was incarcerated in prison for 27 years. This House was assigned to Mr. Tambo by the Zambian Government as his safe house. The House sites on an approximately 1.0 hectares in extent.
The Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs signed the Statutory Instrument today 27th October, 2016 to coincide with Oliver Tambo’s birthday which falls on 27th October. The Late Oliver Tambo would have clocked 99 years today having been born on October 27, 1917, in Nkantolo, South Africa. He died on April 24, 1993, in Johannesburg, South Africa
Some of Oliver Tambo’s famous quotes were:
“The fight for freedom must go on until it is won; until our country is free and happy and peaceful as part of the community of man, we cannot rest”.
“We have a vision of South Africa in which black and white shall live and work together as equals in conditions of peace and prosperity”.
“We seek to create a united Democratic and non-racial society”.
An Airport in Johannesburg has been named after him and Zambia joins the rest of World in celebrating the life of Mr. Tambo by declaration of his former residence while in exile as a National Monument provisionally.
Issued by:
Isaac Kanguya
Public Relations Officer
MINISTRY OF CHIEFS AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS