Former ANC President, Oliver ‘OR’ Tambo, is born

On 27 October 1917, Oliver Tambo, who would become African National Congress (ANC) President, was born at Bizana, Transkei (now known as Eastern Cape). During the 1940s, he enrolled at the University of Fort Hare where he became active in politics. Tambo was among those who led the student boycott at Fort Hare, calling for the formation of a democratically elected Student's Representative Council (SRC). Subsequently, he was deregistered from the institution and could not complete his Bachelor of Science honours degree. The son of Nzimeni and Julia, Tambo dedicated his entire life to the ANC and the struggle for liberation. It was Tambo who played a tremendous role in shaping Thabo Mbeki’s political career and played a fatherly role in exile. During the formation of the ANC Youth League in 1944, Tambo became the first Secretary General. He became the acting President of the ANC after the death of ANC president Chief Albert Luthuli in 1967 and was elected President in 1969 after the Morogoro Conference. In the early hours of 23 April 1993, Tambo suffered a massive and fatal stroke. He was honoured with a state funeral.