Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo was a South African anti-apartheid politician and revolutionary who served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967 to 1991.

Tambo was born in Nkantolo village in the Eastern Cape. His rural upbringing groomed him to become a hard worker with strong moral standards and values.

Today, would’ve been his 100th birthday but he struggled with health after having suffered a stroke. Tambo turned over party presidency to Mandela in 1991 and became chairman. He then died on April 24, 1993, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In celebrating and remembering the life of fallen ANC leader, here are five of his inspirational quotes.

The children of any nation are its future. A country, a movement, a person that does not value its youth and children does not deserve its future.

“We seek to create a united Democratic and non-racial society. We have a vision of South Africa in which black and white shall live and work together as equals in conditions of peace and prosperity. Using the power you derive from the discovery of the truth about racism in South Africa, you will help us to remake our part of the world into a corner of the globe on which all — of which all of humanity can be proud.” – A speech at Georgetown University in January, 1987.

“It is our responsibility to break down barriers of division and create a country where there will be neither Whites nor Blacks, just South Africans, free and united in diversity”.

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”The fight for freedom must go on until it is won; until our country is free and happy and peaceful as part of the community of man, we cannot rest.”

Visit South African History Online for more of Tambo’s quotes.

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