Inyanga kaMeyi iyagujwa eNingizimu Afrika njengeNyanga ye-Afrika, kanti kulo nyaka isiqubulo sithi, ‘Unyaka ka-O.R. UTambo:Ukwakha i-Afrika Engcono kanye neZwe eliNgcono ‘, ukuqaphela umbono wenguquko enkulu yokulwa nobandlululo, obezobe ehlanganisa iminyaka engu-100 ngo-Okthoba 2017.
Ngenkathi igama lika-O.R. Tambo lisematheni kubantu abahamba ngezindiza, empeleni ukuzibophezela kwakhe ekulweleni iNingizimu Afrika ebuswa ngentando yeningi u-O.R., Njengoba ayejwayele ukubizwa , ngadume ngakho. Ngezinga elithile impilo yakhe esakhula yayifaniswa neka-Nelson Mandela ongasekho. Womabili la madoda afunda e-Fort Hare University, lapho baxoshwa khona bobabili ngokuhlanganyela kwabo esitelekeni esasenziwa kule nyuvesi.
UMandela no-Tambo bobabili babengamalungu asungula uphiko lwentsha lwe-ANC, futhi kamuva baba ngamalungu eKomidi Eliphethe Likazwelonke le-ANC. Babenobudlelwano obusondelene ngokwempilo kanye nobamabhizinisi, basungula i-Mandela no-Tambo ngonyaka ka-1952, okuwukuphela kwenkampani yabameli abamnyama e-Afrika ngaleso sikhathi. Kodwa ngonyaka ka-1960, u-Tambo noMandela bathatha izindlela ezahlukene zempilo: lapho uhulumeni evimbela i-ANC, uMandela waphoqeleka ukuba ashaye umshoshaphansi, no-Tambo, owayeyiPhini likaMongameli we-ANC ngaleso sikhathi, waya ekudingisweni Engilandi.
U-Tambo wahlala phesheya kwaze kwaba ngu-1990, lapho uhulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika wagcina ekhulule i-ANC. Ngenkathi esekudingisweni u-Tambo waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe ngokuzimisela, waba ngumongameli weshumi we-ANC ngo-1967 ngemuva kokushona kuka-Chief Albert Luthuli, isikhundla asiphatha kwaze kwaba ngu-1991, ngenkathi uNelson Mandela ethatha ubuholi benhlangano.
Esebuyele eNingizimu Afrika u-Tambo wethule inkulumo yokuvula engqungqutheleni ka-48 kaZwelonke ye-ANC eyabanjelwa eThekwini ngoJulayi 1991. Kwakuyinkomfa yokuqala ye-ANC ukuba khona selokhu kwavalwa i-ANC, eminyakeni engaba ngu-31 eyedlule.
Njengoba wayeseshaywe isifo sohlangothi amahlandla amabili, u-Tambo wenqaba ukumela isikhundla engqungqutheleni, kodwa yize ayenempilo ebuthaka u-Tambo wayesasebenza nsuku zonke futhi eqhubeka nokukhuluma emihlanganweni yomphakathi.
Ekuseni komhlaka-24 Ephreli 1993, u-Oliver Reginald Tambo wedlula emhlabeni ngemuva kokuhlaselwa yisifo senhliziyo. I-epitaph yakhe, ifundeka, ngamazwi akhe:
Kungumsebenzi wethu ukulwa nenhlukano kanye nokwakha izwe lapho kungasazukuba khona abaMhlophe noma abaMnyama, kube abantu baseNingizimu Afrika kuphela, abakhululekile futhi ababumbene ngokwehlukana
Izithombe ngezilokotho ze historyza.blogspot.co.za and www.sahistory.org.za