Tambo Precinct a heritage gem in Benoni

With the Ekurhuleni metro marking October as OR Tambo Month, the City Times recently took a tour of the OR Tambo Cultural Precinct in Wattville. Here’s what we discovered.

Established in 2012, the OR Tambo Cultural Precinct is an attraction dedicated to the legacy of Oliver Reginald Tambo, who lived in Wattville with his wife, ‘Mama’ Adelaide Tambo, during the apartheid era.

The precinct comprises the OR Tambo Narrative Centre, interpreting the life and legacy of Tambo through exhibitions, a craft centre, an amphitheatre for live cultural events, an environmental education centre and a craft trail between the precinct and Tamboville Cemetery.

According to the facility’s caretaker, David Zulu, Tambo and Adelaide lived in Wattville from 1948 until he left the country to go into exile in 1960 to contribute to the liberation struggle.

“Tambo died in 1993 from complications following a stroke. He was an anti-apartheid politician and revolutionary who served as president of the ANC from 1967 to 1991.

“The precinct is an environmental, cultural and educational institution that honours his legacy and his status as a leader,” Zulu said.

Construction
Zulu explained the precinct structure is made of grass, cow dung and sand.
Upside-down steel roof trusses are resting on steel columns, cob earth floors and walls made of straw bales and plastered with cow dung and mud by local women using traditional methods.

The straw bale construction is an ancient African building technique.

“The idea of the building was to combine modern construction principles and indigenous techniques and technology,” said Zulu.

“The building is cool in summer and slightly warmer in winter. Despite its beauty, the precinct is highly flammable, so nothing related to fire is permitted here.

“Everything in the precinct building is recycled. The buildings are slanted and when it rains, water flows directly into the tanks nearby for reuse.
“We also have a man-made dam surrounding the precinct,” Zulu said.

Many famous faces, including the presidents of Angola and Brazil and Mrs World 2018, have visited the precinct.

Fauna and flora
A large variety of herbs can be found at the precinct, as well as about 240 different species of insects.
The precinct is also home to six different species of birds, including the Egyptian goose, helmeted guineafowl, hadeda ibis, speckled pigeon, black kite and white-faced duck.

Did you know?
An NPO, the Tholimfundo Foundation, is based at the precinct. The foundation assists young people with application facilitation for universities and colleges. They also provide career counselling, mentorship and subject selection assistance, along with workshops that provide members and youth with information about careers and qualifications.

Gravesite
The precinct is close to Tambo and ‘Mama’ Adelaide’s gravesite, at Tamboville Cemetery.

The Ekurhuleni heritage administrator of the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Hendrick Boya, said the precinct serves as a link to the Thambo graves, which have been declared a national heritage site by the South African Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999.

“The gravesite is surrounded by 24 growing pillars, representing the years Tambo served as president of the ANC.

“The green dome has a series of trenches within it to allow visitors to place stones in the trenches as a gesture which forms part of traditional practices and customs observed when visiting burial sites (isiko lokuphosa itshe),” said Boya.

Also Read: Wattville youngsters keep the OR Tambo Cultural Precinct clean

Also Read: Commemorative coins celebrate the legacy of OR Tambo