OR Tambo Betrayed: How the ANC Lost the Moral Compass of Its Greatest Leader

Each October, South Africans remember Oliver Reginald Tambo the quiet giant whose integrity and intellect kept the liberation movement alive through exile and repression. But this year, reflection feels more like mourning. The ANC of today, plagued by corruption and factionalism, bears little resemblance to the disciplined, people-centred movement that Tambo built.

As the country honours his memory during OR Tambo Month, many South Africans are asking a painful question: how did the party of Mandela and Tambo lose its moral compass?

A Leader Who Served, Not Ruled

Oliver Tambo’s leadership between 1967 and 1991 was defined by humility and sacrifice. Living modestly in exile from Lusaka to London, he rebuilt the ANC after it was banned, transforming it into a global force for justice. He refused luxury, never used his position for personal gain, and led with quiet conviction.

For Tambo, liberation was not just about dismantling apartheid it was about building a just society free from greed, exploitation, and inequality. He believed leadership meant service, not privilege. Members of the ANC were expected to sacrifice for the people, not enrich themselves at their expense.

That moral discipline was what made the ANC a beacon of hope. But as Vavi and other critics note, that light has dimmed.

From Movement To Marketplace

Fast forward to today, and the ANC’s transformation from a liberation movement into a vehicle for self-interest is undeniable. What Tambo once called “the enemy within” corruption and moral decay has taken root.

Tender manipulation, looting of state funds, and factional power struggles dominate headlines. The moral authority that once defined the ANC has been replaced by transactional politics. The post-1994 dream of equality and transformation has given way to careerism and greed.

The Economic Dream That Never Materialised

Tambo was clear that political freedom meant little without economic liberation. He envisioned a South Africa where wealth was shared, not hoarded where the Freedom Charter’s promise that “the wealth of the country shall be shared among all who live in it” became reality.

Instead, neoliberal policies and elite enrichment have widened inequality. A small class of politically connected elites now controls much of the nation’s wealth, while millions of South Africans live below the poverty line.

The betrayal is not only moral but economic. The fight against apartheid was meant to free the working class from exploitation. Today, those same communities workers, students, and the unemployed remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, unemployment, and inequality.

Factionalism And The Fall Of Collective Leadership

Tambo’s genius lay in unity. He believed in collective decision-making and ideological clarity. The ANC he led debated fiercely but stood together once decisions were made.

In contrast, today’s ANC operates like a battleground of factions each fighting for power and access to resources. Leadership contests resemble auctions, not ideological debates.

The party that once stood as the moral custodian of the nation now seems more concerned with internal survival than national renewal. The consequences are visible everywhere from collapsing municipalities to fading public trust.

Forgotten People, Forgotten Promises

For the people Tambo served the workers, the poor, and the youth the ANC’s betrayal is personal. Communities face unemployment, decaying infrastructure, and daily power outages.

Hospitals struggle under austerity measures while officials drive luxury cars. Schools crumble as politicians deliver empty speeches about reform. It’s a reality Tambo would never have accepted.

In townships and villages, there’s growing nostalgia for the movement that once cared. Many now see the ANC not as a party of liberation, but as one of lost purpose.

Reclaiming The Legacy

To honour OR Tambo means more than quoting him at memorial events. It means reviving his values: integrity, service, and moral leadership. It means holding leaders accountable, not just in words but in action.

Reclaiming his legacy requires restoring the ANC’s ideological roots grounding it once again in socialism, equality, and people-centred development. It also means ending the stranglehold of neoliberalism that has turned democracy into a playground for elites.

As Vavi puts it, reclaiming Tambo’s vision is not nostalgia it’s a revolution of conscience.

The Conscience Of A Nation

Oliver Reginald Tambo’s life was a lesson in principled leadership. He led without ego, united without force, and lived for the people he served. His betrayal, as Vavi argues, is not only the ANC’s it is South Africa’s collective moral failure.

Yet his words still echo with urgency: “A nation that forgets its heroes will itself soon be forgotten.”

To truly honour Tambo is to rise against the rot, restore integrity to leadership, and fight once again for the soul of the nation he gave his life to build.

{Source:IOL}

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