Launch of commemorative coins to mark the 100th anniversary of Oliver Tambo’s birth

In commemorating the birth centenary of an icon of the liberation struggle, Oliver Reginald Tambo, the South African Mint Company (RF) Proprietary Limited (South African Mint), a subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), is producing a R5 circulation coin and three other collectible coins.The late OR Tambo, affectionately called Comrade OR, played a pivotal role in the country’s struggle against apartheid. His stewardship in the liberation movement galvanised world opinion against the apartheid regime.

The new coins bear the ‘Order of the Companions of OR Tambo’, which was instituted in 2002 to honour international heads of state and eminent people for their friendship to South Africa. The elements of the Order feature prominently on the new R5 circulation coin, resoundingly acknowledging his contribution to the struggle for equality and inclusiveness.