Oliver Tambo Quotes

Powerful Oliver Tambo for Daily Growth

About Oliver Tambo

Oliver Reginald Tambo (1917-1993) was a South African lawyer, politician, and anti-apartheid activist who played a pivotal role in the struggle for racial equality in South Africa. Born on October 27, 1917, in Witbank, Transvaal (now Mpumalanga), Tambo was the second of eight children in a Xhosa family. His early life was marked by profound influences from his parents, particularly his mother Alice, who instilled in him a strong sense of social justice and activism. Tambo's formal education began at the Wesleyan Methodist Mission School in Witbank, followed by St Peter's College in Marianhill, Natal. He later studied law at Fort Hare University, where he met Nelson Mandela, his lifelong friend and compatriot in the struggle against apartheid. After graduating from the University of Fort Hare, Tambo continued his studies at the University of London, becoming one of the few black South Africans to qualify as a barrister. Upon returning to South Africa in 1949, Tambo and Mandela co-founded the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League, advocating for radical political change through non-violent means. In 1960, Tambo was elected as the ANC's president following Mandela's imprisonment. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in internationalizing the anti-apartheid struggle, garnering global support for the cause. Tambo and Mandela were forced into exile in 1960 due to increasing government persecution, eventually settling in London where they established the headquarters of the ANC. In 1977, Tambo relocated with his family to Zambia, serving as the President-in-exile until South Africa's first fully democratic elections in 1994. Oliver Tambo passed away on April 24, 1993, just months before the end of apartheid. His legacy lies in his tireless fight for justice and equality, as well as his role in uniting the anti-apartheid movement both within South Africa and internationally. Some of his most famous quotes reflect his steadfast commitment to non-violence and unity: "We are all called to play our part in the struggle for freedom," and "The struggle is my life."

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Our struggle is a just and noble cause."

This quote by Oliver Tambo signifies his conviction in the righteousness and moral integrity of their struggle against apartheid in South Africa. It implies that they were fighting for a cause with inherent justice, one that transcends selfish or material interests. The noble nature of their struggle refers to its lofty ideals, such as equality, freedom, and human dignity, which are universally cherished values. It suggests that despite the challenges and hardships faced during this time, they remained steadfast in their pursuit of justice and fairness for all South Africans.

"We are prepared to suffer for our freedom."

This quote by Oliver Tambo underscores a deep commitment to the pursuit of freedom, indicating that he and his comrades were ready to endure hardships, sacrifices, and possibly even physical pain in their fight against oppression. It highlights an unwavering resolve and resilience, demonstrating their belief that the ultimate goal of freedom for all was worth any personal suffering they might encounter along the way.

"The oppressor cannot understand the heart and soul of the oppressed."

This quote by Oliver Tambo suggests that those who hold power (the oppressors) are unable to fully comprehend or empathize with the experiences, emotions, and perspective of those they oppress. The heart and soul of the oppressed - their struggles, dreams, fears, and resilience - are often invisible or misunderstood by the oppressor. This lack of understanding can perpetuate injustice and hinder efforts towards true equality and reconciliation.

"We believe that we can achieve our freedom only if we are united in our actions and our aspirations."

This quote by Oliver Tambo emphasizes the power of unity in achieving a common goal, specifically the pursuit of freedom. He suggests that individual actions and shared aspirations should be aligned for effective change. In simpler terms, it means that collective action and united goals are essential to bring about desired outcomes or changes, particularly significant ones like gaining independence or freedom.

"Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all men are not free."

This quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of freedom globally. In essence, it suggests that the lack of freedom experienced by any individual impacts the collective freedom of humanity as a whole. When someone is oppressed or enslaved, it creates an imbalance in the global pursuit of liberty and equality. Therefore, the fight for freedom must be universal and unwavering to truly achieve true freedom for all individuals.

We had to forge an alliance of strength based not on colour but on commitment to the total abolition of apartheid and oppression; we would seek allies, of whatever colour, as long as they were totally agreed on our liberation aims.

- Oliver Tambo

Based, Abolition, Aims, Alliance

I am convinced that the world-wide protests during the Rivonia trial saved Mandela and his fellow-accused from a death sentence. But in South Africa, a life sentence means imprisonment until death - or until the defeat of the government which holds these men prisoner.

- Oliver Tambo

Death, Saved, South, World-Wide

You were not wanted. You were, at best, tolerated. You had to be constantly on your guard, like an animal in a jungle full of beasts of prey. You experienced it all within the short distance of five miles from the gates of St. Peter's to Park Station in the city.

- Oliver Tambo

Distance, Prey, Tolerated, Animal

Those who want to perpetuate apartheid also seek to divert your attention to the false issue of communism, to send the entire American public on a witch hunt.

- Oliver Tambo

Hunt, Issue, Apartheid, Witch

Our target is not negotiations, it is the end of the apartheid system. There can be no compromise about that.

- Oliver Tambo

System, About, Apartheid, Compromise

We believe that the world, too, can destroy apartheid, firstly by striking at the economy of South Africa.

- Oliver Tambo

World, Africa, South Africa, Striking

The struggle to conquer oppression in our country is the weaker for the traditionalist, conservative, and primitive restraints imposed on women by man-dominated structures within our movement, as also because of equally traditionalist attitudes of surrender and submission on the part of women.

- Oliver Tambo

Conservative, Country, Weaker

There is no way a spirit of resistance that has sunk so deep in the population can be repressed.

- Oliver Tambo

Deep, Spirit, Repressed, Sunk

The land on which the cattle grazed was communal property. It was owned by no one. It was nobody's private farm. It was the common property of the people, shared by the people. So the practice of sharing was central to the concept of ownership of property.

- Oliver Tambo

Private, Which, Shared, Communal

Racial discrimination, South Africa's economic power, its oppression and exploitation of all the black peoples, are part and parcel of the same thing.

- Oliver Tambo

Africa, Same Thing, Parcel, Exploitation

The A.N.C. was established in 1912 and the S.A. Communist Party in 1921, and so there has been an overlapping of membership all along the line.

- Oliver Tambo

Communist, Been, Established, Membership

Using the power you derive from the discovery of the truth about racism in South Africa, you will help us to remake our part of the world into a corner of the globe on which all - of which all of humanity can be proud.

- Oliver Tambo

Part, About, South, Remake

I can see quite clearly that if there was a single event that launched me on the road to ultimate involvement at the heart of South African politics, it was an assault on an African woman by her white employer in a kitchen in Fort Hare.

- Oliver Tambo

Woman, Politics, Assault, Kitchen

My sister had some ailment and convulsions that she suffered from, and she had been sent to some place to go and get healed there. She was brought back and prayed for by those people. She recovered; in fact, she grew to be an evangelist in her own right, healing people and traveling around.

- Oliver Tambo

Some, Been, Brought, Healed

It is often suggested that the A.N.C. is controlled by the Communist Party, by Communists. Well, I have been long enough in the A.N.C. to know that that has never been true.

- Oliver Tambo

Communist, Been, Often, Communists

The A.N.C. is a national movement. We all - Communists and non-Communists alike - want a nonracial, democratic, united South Africa.

- Oliver Tambo

Africa, United, South Africa, Communists

Mandela drafted the M Plan, a simple, commonsense plan for organization on a street basis so that Congress volunteers would be in daily touch with the people, alert to their needs and able to mobilize them.

- Oliver Tambo

Touch, Congress, Needs, Volunteers

The popularity of leaders like Mandela was an invitation to counter-attack by the government. Mandela was banned from speaking, from attending gatherings, from leaving Johannesburg, from belonging to any organization.

- Oliver Tambo

Invitation, Like, Leaders, Mandela

The sanctions will not kill us. It's apartheid that's killing us.

- Oliver Tambo

Will, Us, Apartheid, Sanctions

We believe it is comprehensive international sanctions against the white regime that will save us from the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of South Africans, black and white.

- Oliver Tambo

Will, Regime, South, Sanctions

Whoever says that sanctions will only deteriorate the situations of blacks in South Africa does not know the criminal, murderous character of genocide that represents the system of apartheid.

- Oliver Tambo

Will, Africa, South Africa, Sanctions

In May 1961, South Africa was to be declared a Nationalist Republic. There was a white referendum, but no African was consulted.

- Oliver Tambo

Africa, South Africa, May, Nationalist

My problem in calling for pressures on South Africa is to convince the youth to convince their governments and people that it is not the South African goods that are cheap, but the forced labor of the Africans.

- Oliver Tambo

Africa, South Africa, South, South African

The results showed that Joe Mokoena and I had made history. For the first time in the history of education in South Africa, two African students had passed the JC with a First Class degree, regarded as a rare achievement for any student.

- Oliver Tambo

Education, Joe, South, First Class

It was becoming clear that, from being at the top at Holy Cross, we were at the bottom at St. Peter's. Objectively, this was very good, for it offered us a challenge and an opportunity to grow if we were ready to take it; and we surely were.

- Oliver Tambo

Becoming, Very, Surely, Objectively

How can it be said we should use only constitutional means in our struggle, when all resistance is illegal and we have no way to change the brutal realities of the racism regime?

- Oliver Tambo

Racism, Means, Brutal, Struggle

This uprising of 1976-77 was, of course, the historic watershed... Within a short period of time, it propelled into the forefront of our struggle millions of young people.

- Oliver Tambo

Historic, Watershed, Period, Struggle

If apartheid is removed, then the violence that is necessary to maintain it will be removed along with the pressures from apartheid which create a violent response.

- Oliver Tambo

Necessary, Violent, Which, Pressures

For decades, we resisted violence - until Sharpeville.

- Oliver Tambo

Violence, Until, Resisted, Decades

How do you deal with a criminal that will not listen to what you have to say and who continues his policy of violence? Some say you continue to talk and let him tire himself out. But nearly 40 years after the institution of apartheid, is there anyone who still believes that verbal persuasion will work?

- Oliver Tambo

Some, Deal, Nearly, Criminal

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.

- Oliver Tambo

Africa, South Africa, Which, Together

I would not hesitate to vote for a white person as president if I thought he was the best person for the job.

- Oliver Tambo

Thought, White, Would, Vote

There is nothing in ANC policy which calls for attacks on civilians in supermarkets, schools, and cinemas unless these are regarded as military installations.

- Oliver Tambo

Nothing, Which, Civilians, Cinemas

Who is a terrorist? Is it not the person who has been persecuting human beings simply because they are black?

- Oliver Tambo

Person, Human Beings, Been, Terrorist

It was of limited usefulness to head great rallies. The government did not listen, and, soon enough, the tear gas and the muzzles of the guns were turned against the people. The justice of our cries went unrecognized.

- Oliver Tambo

Guns, Usefulness, Cries, Rallies

It was always my desire to strike new ground and help to lend weight where it was most required.

- Oliver Tambo

New, Always, Most, Lend

The people of South Africa are ready to stand up to the oppressions of the Pretoria regime, and they are ready to fight back.

- Oliver Tambo

Africa, South Africa, South, Stand Up

The Soviet Union was a very useful ally in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

- Oliver Tambo

Defeat, Soviet Union, Very, Useful

The U.S. is the last country that should see itself as an ally of the apartheid system.

- Oliver Tambo

Country, See, Itself, Ally

Whites, like ourselves, belong to our country. They are compatriots, fellow citizens... we see them as Africans.

- Oliver Tambo

Country, Belong, Like, Citizens

Responsibility for the proper conduct of children was not confined to their parents only. When they misbehaved, they misbehaved against the community. And a senior member of the community was expected to do something about it.

- Oliver Tambo

Against, Expected, Confined, Senior

The violence associated with the A.N.C. is minimal, infinitesimal next to the violence of the apartheid regime.

- Oliver Tambo

Next, Regime, Apartheid, Minimal

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.

- Oliver Tambo

Patriotism, Rest, Country, Peaceful

It may be that apartheid brings such stupendous economic advantages to countries that they would sooner have apartheid than permit its destruction.

- Oliver Tambo

May, Sooner, Apartheid, Permit

In Holy Cross, I came to like school, to like studying in a way I had never done before.

- Oliver Tambo

Studying, Like, Holy, I Came

I didn't really want to be a teacher, but there was nothing else I could be. Most of those who went to the university became teachers. It was just the racial restriction on Africans.

- Oliver Tambo

University, Could, Became, Restriction

We have got to move away from the concept of race and color because that is what apartheid is. We cannot end apartheid if we retain these concepts.

- Oliver Tambo

Race, Away, Move, Apartheid

Apartheid is inherently a practice of violence.

- Oliver Tambo

Practice, Inherently, Apartheid

Apartheid either is or is not. And it must not be.

- Oliver Tambo

Must, Either, Apartheid

The apartheid system renounces no violence.

- Oliver Tambo

Violence, System, Apartheid

In South Africa, I feel I am a stranger, at best an animal.

- Oliver Tambo

I Am, Africa, South Africa, Stranger

The true facts are not always obvious. They often have to be looked for.

- Oliver Tambo

True, Always, Looked, Obvious

I was just an ordinary student. I'd always gotten along with authorities quite well.

- Oliver Tambo

Always, Along, Gotten, Ordinary

We seek to create a united Democratic and non-racial society.

- Oliver Tambo

Society, Democratic, United, Seek

The more pressure you bring from without, the less internal pressure is necessary.

- Oliver Tambo

More, Necessary, Internal, Pressure

To go back means defeat.

- Oliver Tambo

Go, Back, Means, Defeat

We all belong to South Africa, and South Africa belongs to us all.

- Oliver Tambo

Belong, Africa, South, South Africa

We were very lucky. My mother and stepmothers were on very, very good terms, and so we, the children, grew up as brothers and sisters.

- Oliver Tambo

Lucky, Brothers, Very, Brothers And Sisters

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