Feb 1, 2007, 12:50 GMT
Johannesburg - South Africa was in mourning Thursday for 'a life dedicated to freedom and service' following the death Wednesday night of Adelaide Tambo, a veteran anti-apartheid activist and widow of former African National Congress (ANC) leader Oliver Tambo.
Former president Nelson Mandela, mourned the 'passing away of a close personal friend, a comrade and one of the great heroines of our nation.'
'She was a mother to the liberation movement in exile, and a nationally revered figure in our new nation. We pay tribute to a life dedicated to freedom and service,' he said in a statement released by the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
President Thabo Mbeki also expressed his sadness and condolences on Tambo's passing.
Adelaide or Ma Tambo, as she was affectionately known among South Africans, collapsed suddenly and died at her home in Johannesburg at the age of 77.
The Tambos were leading figures in the anti-apartheid movement. After the ANC went underground in 1960 Oliver Tambo was asked to lead the movement in exile. Based in London for 30 years, the couple returned to a rapturous welcome when the ban on the ANC was lifted in 1990.
Adelaide Tambo became active in the liberation struggle in her teens. In London she worked as a nurse and was active in organizations providing assistance to victims of apartheid
She was also a founding member of the Afro-Asian Solidarity Movement and the Pan-African Women's Organization.
On her return to South Africa, she was elected to parliament in the country's first multi-racial democratic elections in 1994, a year after Oliver Tambo's death.
After retiring, she continued to engage in community work.
She is survived by three children.
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