| 反种族隔离斗士阿德莱德逝世-1 Adelaide Tambo collapsed in her home late Wednesday, and died soon afterwards from an apparent heart attack. Her death, at 77-years, was unexpected. Earlier in the day, she had visited her doctor for a checkup, and was pronounced fit and healthy. Mama Adelaide, as she was fondly known by many South Africans, was harshly exposed to the reality of apartheid as a 10-year-old, when her octogenarian grandfather was flogged by white police in the town square in Vereeniging, an industrial town south of Johannesburg. The young girl cradled her unconscious grandfather in her arms until he revived, and later said the incident sparked a life-long determination to fight racism and apartheid. By the age of 16, she was acting as a courier for the African National Congress, and became a branch leader at 18. In 1960, following a major crackdown on the liberation movements by the apartheid state, the ANC instructed her husband, Oliver, to leave South Africa and set up an external wing of the organization. Adelaide followed a few months later, and the couple settled in London. Their home became a refuge for hundreds of South African exiles over the years, including former President Nelson Mandela, before he was jailed, and current President Thabo Mbeki. It was there that Tambo, working as a nurse to support her family and many others, became known as Mama Adelaide. Thembi Modise, former ANC soldier and current speaker of the North West Province parliament, told national radio, Mama Adelaide's caring embrace accommodated any who needed it. |
