October 2, 2019

Congresswoman Maxine Waters to deliver sixth Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture

CN&CO is proud to be working with the Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation on a number of upcoming events, starting with the 2019 Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture.

The sixth Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation (OATF), will be held on Saturday, 26 October 2019 at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Ekurhuleni. The annual lecture commemorates late struggle icon, consummate diplomat and doyen of democracy, Oliver Reginald Tambo, who would have turned 102 years old on 27 October 2019

This year’s lecture will be delivered by Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Featured on Time magazine’s 2018 list of the 100 most influential people in the world, Waters has dedicated her life to fighting injustices, not only in her Los Angeles constituency, but across the world. She spent the better part of the 1980s actively opposing and mobilising support against the apartheid regime, including organising and participating in sit-ins at the South African Consulate, and protesting against individuals who supported the South Africa’s apartheid regime. In 1986, as a member of the California Assembly, Waters called for the divestment of funds from corporations doing business with South Africa’s apartheid regime and helped to make the call for divestment a national movement sweeping from state to state and city to city. She did this by authoring Assembly Bill 134 to divest a record $12 billion from public pension funds in California, thus fortifying California’s opposition to the apartheid regime.

In 2004 she was conferred with the Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo by the government of South Africa in recognition for her tireless efforts to fight apartheid.

Waters will talk on “Tambo’s Vision for an Equal Society.”

“The objective of the Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture is to promote Tambo’s outstanding leadership values by fostering conversation and awareness around his incredible contributions to the advent of democracy in our country,” says OATF Chief Executive Officer, Ms Zengeziwe Msimang. “We hope to encourage our audience, which will comprise of all age groups, to ruminate on the impact of Tambo’s leadership style, and the wisdom that he engendered to combat racism and fight for equality.

“In short, the lecture will draw on Tambo’s teachings in order to advance the South Africa and the world we want.”

Previous speakers at the Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture include former President Thabo Mbeki, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, Reverend Frank Chikane, Mr Mac Maharaj and Dr Brigalia Bam.

Event details

Date:         Saturday, 26 October 2019
Time:         18h00 – 22h00
Venue:       O.R. Tambo Conference Room, Birchwood Hotel & O.R. Tambo Conference Centre, Ekurhuleni, South Africa
Cost:          Entrance is free but attendees must register to gain entry
Register:     Use this link to register

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Finger food will be served.
Entertainment will be provided by Lebo Mashile (MC), Kitty Phetla and Moving into Dance.

About O.R. Tambo and the Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation

Oliver Tambo, or O.R. as he was affectionately known, dedicated his life to the attainment of freedom for the oppressed people of South Africa. He traversed the globe tirelessly in a bid to raise awareness about the injustices of apartheid and fight for liberation. Tambo spent thirty years of his life exiled and, prior to his return to South Africa, assisted in the drafting the South African Constitution.  In this way, amongst others, his legacy will forever be enshrined in the lives of South Africans.

The Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation is tasked with protecting, preserving and promoting the legacies of Oliver and Adelaide Tambo by undertaking community-based, education-focused projects. They also implement Tambo legacy projects, such as the annual Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture and the Deconstructing the Definition of a Freedom Fighter dialogue series. These projects promote and instil in South Africans the values for which the Tambos were famed.

They believe that these values, such as collective leadership, humility, integrity, justice and equality, are critical in consolidating our democracy and providing future leaders with the tools to reinforce the gains made by Tambo.

Additional information about Congresswoman Maxine Waters

A national Democratic Party leader with a career spanning almost 40 years in the public service, Congresswoman Waters has been a vocal presence in the Democratic Party, America and global politics for decades.

During her tenure as the Chairperson of the Los Angeles Free South Africa Movement, she hosted Oliver Tambo, providing him with the platform to talk about what was happening in South Africa, thus bolstering the anti-apartheid movement. Waters campaigned tirelessly for the divestment of funds from corporations doing business in South Africa. She succeeded and the bill she authored, Assembly Bill 134, was passed. This resulted in a record 12 billion dollars from public pension funds being divested from South Africa.

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