Much has been written about Oliver Reginald Tambo, by diverse writers and from different perspectives. Lindiwe Mabuza, who spent much of her life in the service of the South African struggle, now presents us with a unique look into his life with an anthology of poems and writings about him and two of the men with whom he shared a special relationship and bond: Olof Palme whom he regarded as a brother and Thabo Mbeki whom he regarded as a son.
Many can testify to the affinity between OR and Thabo Mbeki but the bond between OR and the late Swedish prime minister, Olof Palme, is less well known. On 28 February 1986, just a week after the last time Olof Palme and Oliver Tambo were together on the occasion of the Swedish People’s Parliament Against Apartheid, Palme was shot and killed on the streets of Stockholm.
During Lindiwe Mabuza’s time as the ANC chief representative in Sweden she got to know the Swedish people well, including Olof Palme, then prime minister, and his wife Lisbeth – and the depth of affection and solidarity that the majority of Swedes felt towards the oppressed people of South Africa. During the dark days of apartheid she resorted to poetry to capture not only the despair and anguish felt by many, but also the fierce determination to fight on.
This collection of poems and writings, Tambo Lenyoka, is a wonderful keepsake. It uses words, original art, photographs and illustrations to show the special bonds that existed between OR Tambo, Olof Palme and Thabo Mbeki.
