See also: Tambo (homonymy)

Oliver Reginald Tambo (October 27th 1917 - April 24th 1993) was a black politician of South Africa, militant of the cause anti Apartheid and chair African National congress (ANC).

Oliver Tambo was born the October 27th 1917, in Mbizana, in the pondoland (Cape-Eastern).

Called initially Kaizana in reference to the Kaiser, enemy of the British S, his first name is anglicized in Oliver at the time to start his schooling. In 1940, with Nelson Mandela it is excluded from the university of Strong Hare to have taken part in a strike.

In 1942, it teaches sciences and mathematics with St Peter, his old college for blacks of Johannesburg. In 1943, in company of Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, it is one of the founders of the league of the young people of the ANC (ANC Youth League) which proposes a novel mode of claim, based either on the petitions and the demonstrations but on civil disobedience, the boycott, the strike and not-collaboration.

National secretary of the league in 1944, it is elected at the executive council of the ANC in 1948, year of the victory of the national Parti with the general elections and of the installation apartheid.

In 1955, it is elected general secretary of the ANC after the banishment of Walter Sisulu at the end of the “Suppression off Communism Act”.

In 1958, he becomes vice-president of the ANC and in 1959, is the object of an order of 5 years banishment.

Envoy abroad after the Massacre of Sharpeville to mobilize the opposition to apartheid, it is implied in the formation of the United front South-African (South African United Front) which arrived at the expulsion of South Africa of the the Commonwealth in 1961.

He chairs the ANC in exile during 30 years until his return in South Africa in 1991 after the legalization of the party by Frederik de Klerk.

An heart attack carries it the April 24th 1993, a few days after the assassination of Chris Hani, his/her comrade of the fight anti-apartheid, chief of the South-African Communist party (SACP).

In 2004, a discussed investigation of public television SABC places Oliver Tambo in 31e position on the list of the 100 larger South-African, behind personalities pro-apartheid like Hendrik Verwoerd in the 19th place or Eugene Terreblanche with the 25e place.

The October 27th 2006, the International airport of Johannesburg, which had borne the name of Jan Smuts of 1952 to 1995, was renamed GOLD Tambo International Airport. This decision, which makes following a long polemic, is perceived by the opponents as a questioning of the argument used in 1995 by the government to henceforth give only geographical place names to the South-African airports.

Tambo Adelaide

His wife Adélaïde Tambo died at the 77 years age on February 1st 2007. Militant since adolescence, it had passed nearly 30 years in exile to London to the side of her husband before returning to South Africa in 1990.