OR Tambo Public Lecture to be delivered by the Honourable Chief Justice Raymond Zondo

In a few weeks, the Honourable Chief Justice Raymond Zondo will descend on the University of Fort Hare’s Alice campus to deliver the Oliver Reginald (OR) Tambo Public Lecture on Justice, Democracy and the Rule of Law.

The Public Lecture is held in celebration of the life and times of the late OR Tambo – A south African political icon who was a lawyer by profession who strongly advocated for inclusive African Nationalism as a force for liberation.  

Previous keynote speakers for this significant event include former SA presidents, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma; current president Cyril Ramaphosa (who was a deputy president at the time) and; former Minister and political activist, Pallo Jordan.

This year’s lecture draws inspiration from the role that the late OR Tambo played in navigating the dichotomy between obeying the (rule of) law and guaranteeing fairness and justice. It seeks to examine the important contribution on, amongst others, law, justice and democracy, that OR Tambo made to South Africa, the Continent of Africa and the World.

For UFH, it is a great privilege to host this lecture in honour of OR, whom the University counts among its notable alumni. It was at Fort Hare that he first became involved in politics when he led a student class boycott in support of a demand to form a democratically elected students’ representative council. Consequently, he was expelled from Fort Hare and was unable to complete his BSc Honours Degree.

After serving as the African National Congress’ president from 1967 to 1991 – the longest-serving ANC president, OR Tambo returned to UFH at the dawn of democracy when he was appointed as University’s first black Chancellor in 1991.

It is a great privilege to have Chief Justice Zondo as the key speaker.  We look forward to his address.

Date: 24 March 2023

Venue: Alice Sport Complex

Time: 10h00 – 14h00