Oliver Tambo Biography

Oliver Tambo was the acting president of the African National Congress (ANC), the South African anti-apartheid political party from 1967-1991.

Oliver Tambo opened the first Black law firm in South Africa with Nelson Mandela. Tambo would go on to serve in exile as acting president of the African National Congress, a party that agitated to end his country’s apartheid regime. He returned to South Africa in 1990, turning over party leadership to Mandela.

Oliver Tambo Early Life and Career

Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo, a prominent figure in South African history, was born on October 27, 1917, in the quaint village of Nkantolo, Bizana eastern Pondoland what is now the Eastern Cape. He was a member of the Pondo people, and his family had a modest farming background. His father, Mzimeni Tambo, was the son of a farmer and an assistant salesperson at a local trading store. Mzimeni had four wives and ten children, all of whom were literate. Oliver’s mother, Mzimeni’s third wife, was called Julia.

Despite his humble beginnings, Tambo was a brilliant student. He was awarded a scholarship to attend the University of Fort Hare, which was the only university open to Black citizens in South Africa at the time. At the university, he studied education and science. He, along with several others including Nelson Mandela, was expelled for participating in a student strike. In 1942, Tambo returned to his former high school in Johannesburg to teach science and mathematics.

Oliver Tambo Working With Mandela

In 1944, Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela, who came from the same region as Tambo and also attended Fort Hare, helped form the Youth League of the African National Congress. Tambo taught at a missionary school for a time but opted to study law, seeing legal action as a powerful tool in which to dismantle state-supported segregation. In 1952, he joined with Mandela to open the Johannesburg-based Mandela and Tambo, the first black South African law firm. An Anglican, he also had considered a career in the priesthood.

Tambo became increasingly at the forefront of ANC political activity, further agitating against apartheid, the caste system enforced upon the native black population by the white-controlled government. He and other party members were arrested in 1956 for treason, though later cleared.

Oliver Tambo Wife and Children

During this period, Tambo married Adelaide Tshukudu, a nurse and member of the ANC’s Youth League; the couple have three children.

Oliver Tambo Appointed ANC Acting President

After the Sharpville demonstration massacre, where dozens of citizens were killed or hurt, the ANC took on the stance of using violent, militant tactics to overthrow apartheid. The party was banned by the government and Mandela would be sentenced to life imprisonment. Tambo was appointed to head the ANC in exile by the party’s president, Chief Albert Luthuli. Tambo became acting party president in 1967, upon Luthuli’s death.

Tambo established residences in Zambia and London, England, among other locales, and received party aid from some European countries, including Holland, East Germany, and the Soviet Union. From abroad Tambo coordinated resistance and guerrilla movements, and, despite internal organizational struggles, was able to keep the multiracial ANC intact. During the 1980s, with the unrest in South Africa reaching chaotic heights under the P.W. Botha regime, Tambo was increasingly able to find Western support for the plight of the people, including economic boycotts.

Oliver Tambo Return to South Africa

Though steadfast in his resolve, Tambo was noted for his grace, warmth, and affection. He was able to return to his native country in 1990 when the ban against the ANC was lifted by new South African President F.W. de Klerk. In struggling health after having suffered a stroke, Tambo turned over the party presidency to Mandela in 1991 and became chairman. Oliver Reginald Tambo died on April 24, 1993, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Oliver Tambo Death

After suffering complications following a stroke, Tambo died on 24th April 1993, at the age of 75. His death came 14 days after Chris Hani’s assassination and one year before the 1994 general election in which Nelson Mandela became President. Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, and other prominent politicians attended the funeral. Tambo was buried in Benoni, Gauteng.

Oliver Tambo Quick Facts

• Name: Oliver Tambo
• Birth date: October 27, 1917
• Birth City: Bizana
• Birth Country: South Africa
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Oliver Tambo was the acting president of the African National Congress, the South African anti-apartheid political party. Tambo served primarily in exile.
• Spouse: Adelaide Tambo (m. 1956–1993)
• Children: Dali Tambo, Tselane Tambo, Thembi Tambo
• Industries
• World Politics
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Schools: University of Fort Hare
• Nationalities:  South African
• Death date: April 24, 1993
• Death City: Johannesburg
• Death Country: South Africa