President Jacob Zuma will on 26 October 2012, host a special National Orders ceremony and bestow the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo to eminent foreign nationals.
This is part of honouring the legacy of national hero and icon, former African National Congress (ANC) President Oliver Reginald Tambo, after whom the National Order is named.
The orders will be presented on the birth date of Mr Tambo while the eminent persons will be in the country to attend the International Solidarity Conference.
The Companions of OR Tambo Order is awarded to foreign nationals and other foreign dignitaries for friendship shown to South Africa and its people. It is an Order of peace, cooperation and active expression of solidarity and support.
The Order also constitutes an essential pillar of international and multilateral relations.
"It is therefore concerned primarily with matters of peace, cooperation, international solidarity and support and is integral to the execution of South Africa's international and multilateral relations,” said Dr Cassius Lubisi the Chancellor of the National Orders.
All the foreign nationals who will be awarded this prestigious award have played a significant part in the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa through lobbying the international community to take a stand against the oppression of South African people.
Venue: Sefako M Makgatho Presidential Guest House, Pretoria.
The special nominees for the Companions of OR Tambo for the October 2012 National Orders Awards Ceremony are:
Order of the Companion of O R Tambo in Gold - Percival James Patterson (Jamaica)
Percival Noel James Patterson was born in 1935 in St. Andrew, Jamaica, the son of a farmer in the island's rural western region. He excelled as a student in primary and high schools and earned an honours degree in English at the University of the West Indies. While still a student, he became politically active in the then British colony that had a history of colourful and contentious politics.
A passionate opponent of apartheid, he was an ardent proponent of South Africa's liberation movement. In 1987, during the time when PJ Patterson was the chairman of the PNP and Michael Manley the President of the PNP, the ANC was invited to attend the PNP's Founders Day banquet celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the independence of Jamaica. Mr OR Tambo addressed the PNP Founders Day in Kingston, Jamaica on 4 July 1987.
PJ Patterson, during his address to the Joint Session of the State Legislature, Boston, Massachuetts, USA on 2 May 1994 said:"The abolition of apartheid at long last; the right of all the people of South Africa, regardless of race, color, or gender to freely elect a government of their choice; the victory of the ANC [African National Congress] and the imminent inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the first democratic president of South Africa bring the dreams of Marcus Garvey one giant step closer to final fulfillment”.
Order of Companions of OR Tambo in Silver - Toshio Akiniwa (Japan)
Mr Toshio Akiniwa was born in 1925, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Due to World War II, a secondary school programme was not formally operated in his country. In April 1945, Mr Kiniwa received an order to join the army at the Manchuria Military School. He was taken to Siberia in 1949 as a prisoner of war (PoW) by the Soviet Army and returned to Japan where he joined the democracy movement activities, Fukishima Prefecture.
In 1955 he became a member of the Japan Asia Africa Latin Africa Solidarity Committee (JAALA). On the 1st of June 1956, he served as a Secretariat of JAALA. He was part of the meeting with the ANC Representatives during the First Asia Africa Conference held in Cairo JAALA and the ANC appointed him as Secretariat of Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO) in 1958. In 1963 he participated in the 3rd Asia Africa People's Solidarity Conference was also part of the group to organize the first Solidarity Rally in Tokyo, requesting the immediate abolition of apartheid and support for South African people in 1964.
He also participated in the rally protesting at the 1974 International Golf Tournament that had South African players. He was part of the group to hold the first Anti-Apartheid All Japan Camp in Shizuoka in 1978. In1983, he participated in the International Conference of Solidarity with Frontline States and National Liberation and Peace for Southern Africa Region in Lisbon.
In 1985, Mr Akiniwa participated in the organising of a protest demonstration at the General Consular Office of South Africa in Tokyo with some 50 representatives from 19 organisations. He participated in organising a large scale Anti-Apartheid Rally on the occasion of the visit to Japan of Archbishop Desmond Tutu in 1986.
In 1987, he was part of the JAALA members that had a meeting with OR Tambo to finalise the opening of ANC Tokyo Office, with JAALA shouldering all costs needed for the opening and participated in the establishment of the"Fund for the Solidarity and Support of South African People”. He formed part of the JAALA members who opened an ANC Tokyo Office Opening Party and had the celebration of the 30th Annivesary of Freedom Charter.
Order of the companions of O R Tambo in Silver - Brian Filling (Scotland)
Mr Brian Filling was born on the 15 October 1946. He is the honorary Consular for South Africa in Scotland. From 1960 he was active in the campaigns against apartheid.
He has led many pickets, demonstrations and events against apartheid including a Maiden speech at university debate against the selling of arms to apartheid South Africa, University of Glasgow in 1966.
He was actively engaged together with the Glasgow's Lord Provost in getting the City to award the Freedom of the City to Nelson Mandela who was then in prison in South Africa (1981), addressed by Vice-President of Nigeria, Alex Ekwueme, ANC Chief Representative and Ruth Mompati. This was an important milestone in the Free Mandela campaign.
As Chair of AAM Scottish Committee, Brian played a role in the erection of the'Woman and Child' statue dedicated to South African Freedom Fighters in Edinburgh in the 1980s. In 1985 he organised Amandla (ANC Cultural Ensemble) Scottish tour, including concerts in Aberdeen, Stirling, Glasgow and a week-long stint at the Edinburgh Festival, working closely with Oliver Tambo's son, Dali Tambo in preparation and with Jonas Gwanga during tour. In 1986 he addressed an event re-naming Glasgow Street after Nelson Mandela.
The street housed the South African Consulate on the fifth floor of the Stock Exchange building. In 1988 he chaired a 30,000 strong Glasgow rally launching Glasgow-London walk to free Mandela, addressed by OR Tambo, Archbishop Trevor Huddleston and others.
He organised many speaking tours throughout Scotland from 1970s including for Duma Nokwe, Tito Mboweni, Sam Nujoma, Andimba Toivo ja Toivo, Aziz Pahad, Essop Pahad, Archie Gumede, Billy Nair, Baleka Kgositsile, Denis Goldberg, George Johannes and Mendi Msimang. In 1993 he delivered an address to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns at Burns Supper in London in aid of the South African Communist Party. The main speaker on the occasion was Chris Hani.
He worked closely with ANC exiles based in Scotland including Joyce Sikakane, Suganyah Chetty, Hassan Ebrahim and many others. He also organised with the Lord Provost the unveiling of a plaque to mark the 30th Anniversary of the award of the Freedom of the City of Glasgow on 4 August 1981. It is against this background that he be recognised for a life time commitment and effective activity in mobilising international support for the national liberation and the reconstruction of our country, mainly in Great Britain and especially Scotland and other international forums.
Order of Companions of OR Tambo in Silver - Ms Dina Forti
Ms Dina Forti has been awarded in 2005 by the President of the Italian Republic, the honorary title of "Grande Ufficiale della Republica” for her role in the liberation struggle against the fascist regime.
During the Second World War she played a special role in the radio communication between the Italian Resistance Movement and the British Troop Command of the Allied Forces based in Jerusalem. After the war, Forti played a crucial role in the international relations office of the Italian Communist Party as the official responsible for developing and maintaining relations with African and Asian Liberation Movements.
Ms Forti continuously exchanged information in particular with the African National Congress, Frelimo, the MPLA, PAICV and Fretilin. Her contribution was instrumental in developing the anti-apartheid movement in Italy, involving all democratic forces, political parties, trade unions and institutions, including the Italian Parliament, the different Italian governments as well as regional and local authorities.
Due to Ms Forti's professional and personal support to the Italian and international liberation organisations, and appreciated status as important interlocutor in South African liberation struggle, she always participated at special meetings with former Presidents Mandela and Thabo Mbeki as well as other prominent authorities during their visits to Italy before and after the end of the apartheid regime.
Between the end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, Ms Forti spent four years in Mozambique officially assisting President Samora Machel in his relation with the United Nations and other international institutions. During her sojourn in Maputo, she strengthened her friendship with Ruth First, Joe Slovo and other African National Congress representatives in exile.
She has always maintained her relations with many African National Congress leaders, as well as the former representatives of the organisation in Italy, such as Anthony Mongalo, who also served as post-apartheid Ambassador to the Italian Republic.
Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Silver - Ibrahim A. Gambari (Nigeria)
Prof Ibrahim Gambari was appointed as a Joint Special Representative of the African Union-United Nations Operation in Darfur by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, effective 1 January 2010.
He was Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Iraq Compact and other issues from 2007 to 2009. He was entrusted with the good Offices Mandate on Myanmar by the Secretary-General on 22 May 2007. Prof Gambari was also Under-Secretary -General for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2007; UN special adviser on Africa (1999-2005), and special representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission to Angola (2002-2003).
Before joining the United Nations, he served his country as Ambassador and permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations (1990-1999) in which position he chaired the United Nations Special Committee against apartheid. He was also the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria (1984-1985), and the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Silver - Rajni Kumar (India)
Mrs. Rajni Kumar, Chairperson, Springdales Education Society is a veteran Educationist having worked for more than 60 years in the field of school education.
She founded Springdales in 1955 and worked as Founder Principal for 32 years, raising the school from a small Kindergarten to the prestigious complex of schools it has become today well sought after by the public for the education of their children.
As Principal of Springdales School, New Delhi at a time when India was emerging as the leader of the non-aligned movement she educated her students to work for Peace and International Understanding and to support the liberation struggles of people especially of the P.L.O. and A.N.C. and countries of Asia and Africa still under colonialism.
In 1971, she set up the Africa Club in solidarity with the ANC in its fight for the overthrow of apartheid. For the next 20 years the Africa Club of Springdales aroused the consciousness of Indian youth with their poems, plays, songs and speeches about the atrocities of apartheid and the fighting spirit of the South African people.
In 1985, Mrs Kumar visited Zambia to meet the ANC government in exile based in Lusaka and led by the late OR Tambo. At his request she also visited the Solomon Mahalengu Complex in Morogoro to give suggestions on the education and skills being imparted to the South African freedom fighters in exile.
In 2004, she was honoured by then President Mbeki for her work in solidarity with the struggle against apartheid and invited as India's representative for the launch of the Freedom Park in Pretoria.
In 2006, she was invited as India's Special Guest for the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the A.N.C. Women's League, in Pretoria.
Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Silver - Dr Vassos Lyssarides (Cyprus)
Vassos Lyssarides was born on 13 May 1920 in a small mountainous village in the Larnaca district called Lefkara in Cyprus. Dr Lyssarides is known as a man of vision and an optimist, with a firm belief in human equality. He is the founder of the Socialist Party of Cyprus, was its president for 33 years and is now its Honorary President.
He was, and still is an ideologist, who has the gift of looking at life realistically and offers visionary solutions. He is often disappointed and deeply disturbed, however, by developments which he sees as contrary to the well-being and integrity of his country or to the detriment of both Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.
His contribution to political life, not only of this island but also internationally is far-reaching. He served as President of the Committee for Peace in Cyprus from which he resigned when the Soviet troops invaded Czechoslovakia. He was Vice-President of the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation and at the head of ICSA (International Committee in Solidarity with South Africa) which worked vigorously for the release of Nelson Mandela.
Dr Lyssarides has also helped freedom fighters from Africa and throughout his political career, meeting almost all of the African liberation leaders, either in a personal capacity or as General-Secretary of ICSA.
He was deeply involved in the EOKA struggle in Cyprus against Colonial Britain from 1955 to 1959 and also treated fighters and offered them refuge in his Nicosia clinic. At the time, Dr Lyssarides had also established the movement of leftwing patriots and became a political district officer.
At the London Conference later he acted as a representative of EOKA and voted against the Zurich - London agreements which ended the guerrilla-led rebellion in Cyprus. He believed that the arrangement was not functional as it was based on racial distinction and was most divisive.
Dr Vassos Lyssarides was elected to the Cyprus House of Representatives in 1960 upon independence and was a member of the House till 2006. He was also the leader of the Popular army during the 1963-64 intercommunal violence that followed the Turkish Cypriot withdrawal from the state apparatus, which was instigated by Turkey.
In 1969 he founded EDEK, the Socialist political party of Cyprus and was its President until 2002. He is now the Party's Honorary President and is still active in politics.
Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Silver - Dr Jorge Risquet Valdes Saldaña (Cuba)
Dr Jorge Saldaña was born on 6th May 1930 in Havana, Cuba. He joined the Revolutionary Youth Movement in 1943 and was a member of the Socialist Youth National Committee (1945-1959). He fulfilled various responsibilities within the Socialist Youth and the Peoples Socialist Party.
He was arrested, abducted and tortured during the tyranny, but from 1952-1955 he became Cuba's representative and was responsible for Latin American affairs at the World Federation of Democratic Youth. He fulfilled an international mission in Guatemala in the 1954; in 1958 he joined the Cuban Rebel Army. After the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, he fulfilled high responsibilities in the Army and Party at the former Western Union province.
He was the head of Practice Lumumba Internationalist Battalion in Brazzaville, Congo (1965-1967). He was Cuban Minister of Labour (1967-1973). He has been a member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party since its establishment in 1965 as well as a member of the Central Committee Secretariat (1973-1990).
Dr Saldaña was responsible for the Cuban Civil Mission in Angola (1975-1979), He presided over the Cuban delegation attending the Four-party meetings (Angola-Cuban-South Africa-United States) (1987-1988).
He was a member of the Politburo (1980-1991). He has been a deputy of the National Assembly of People's Power from its first legislature in 1976 until 1993). He has been a deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power since its first constitution in 1993. Dr Saldaña has received various national and international decorations.
Enquiries:
Zanele Mngadi
Cell: 082 330 1148
Bongani Majola
Cell: 082 339 1993
Mac Maharaj
Cell: 079 879 3203
E-mail: macmaharaj@mweb.co.za
