Statecraft & Independence
Landmark
Oliver Tambo
1917 – 1993
Held the ANC together in exile for thirty years
Landmark is level 2 of 4 in the South Africa Hall of Fame: a first that opened a door, or the pre-eminent figure of their generation in this country. See how the levels work.
Why they are here
While Mandela was in prison, Tambo kept the ANC alive from outside the country — and built the international campaign that made apartheid a global question rather than a South African one.
A founding member of the ANC Youth League, Tambo served as deputy and then acting president of the ANC through the 1950s and 1960s.
Forced into exile in 1960, he led the ANC's international campaign against apartheid for three decades, securing support abroad and driving the case for sanctions.
Forced into exile in 1960, he led the ANC's international campaign against apartheid for three decades, securing support abroad and driving the case for sanctions.
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will check it.