South Africa: President Ramaphosa Honours or Tambo's Legacy of Regional Solidarity

What the report says

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday paid tribute to former ANC president Oliver Reginald Tambo during a wreath-laying ceremony at OR Tambo Square in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, according to SAnews.gov.za, as distributed by AllAfrica. The event took place alongside the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in Durban, where regional leaders were gathered for discussions on peace, security, development and integration.

Ramaphosa joined leaders from across the Southern African Development Community in honouring Tambo’s role in South Africa’s liberation struggle and his efforts to build support beyond the country’s borders. The ceremony was received by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola and eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba. Military honours were rendered before Ramaphosa laid a wreath at Tambo’s statue with other SADC leaders.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni used the occasion to stress that Tambo’s leadership helped mobilise the Frontline States, a group of regional governments that supported anti-apartheid efforts and broader liberation movements in southern Africa. The commemoration also referenced major regional sacrifices linked to the struggle against apartheid and destabilisation. In general, Tambo remains widely remembered as a key ANC figure in exile and a symbol of regional solidarity, and the ceremony underscored how that legacy continues to shape SADC’s emphasis on cooperation and shared development.