Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo

Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo
Badge (c. 2002)
Awarded by President of South Africa
Type	National Order
Status	Currently constituted
Grades (w/ post-nominals)	Supreme Companion Grand Companion Companion
Statistics
First induction	10 December 2002
Distinct recipients	110
Ribbon bar of the Order

The Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo is a South African honour.^[1] It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and is granted by the President of South Africa, to foreign citizens who have promoted South African interests and aspirations through co-operation. solidarity, and support.

The order is named after the late Oliver Tambo, who was the African National Congress's president-in-exile for many years.

Walking stick awarded with Order

Current classes

The three classes of appointment to the Order are, in descending order of precedence:

• Supreme Companion of OR Tambo in gold, for heads of state and, in special cases, heads of government (SCOT)
• Grand Companion o OR Tambo in silver, for heads of government, ministers of state, supreme court judges, presidents of legislatures, secretaries of state, ambassadors, commanders-in-chief (GCOT)
• Companion of OR Tambo in bronze, for legislators, envoys, senior military officers (COT)

Symbolism

The badge of the order is oval, and depicts a symbol similar to that of the Taijitu between two arrowheads, framed by two mole snakes.^[1] The symbol represents the meeting of diverse spiritual energies, and the snakes represent solidarity and support. The South African coat of arms is displayed on the reverse.

The ribbon is white, with recurring grey symbols down the centre. All three classes are worn around the neck.

Recipients are also presented with a carved wooden walking stick, which has a serpent wound around the shaft and a spoon-shaped head displaying the badge of the order and the national arms. The walking stick symbolises support and solidarity, and a commitment to stand by the recipient in return.

Recipients

Name	Grade	Awarded
Olof Palme	SCOT	10 December 2002 [2]
Kenneth David Kaunda	SCOT	10 December 2002
Mahatma Gandhi	SCOT	10 December 2002
Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane	SCOT	16 June 2004 [3][4]
Agostinho Neto	SCOT	16 June 2004
Kwame Nkrumah	SCOT	16 June 2004
Julius Nyerere	SCOT	16 June 2004
Amílcar Cabral	SCOT	16 June 2004
Salim Ahmed Salim	SCOT	16 June 2004
Kofi Annan	SCOT	16 June 2004
Salvador Allende	SCOT	16 June 2004
Martti Ahtisaari	SCOT	16 June 2004
Michael Manley	SCOT	16 June 2004
Martin Luther King, Jr.	SCOT	16 June 2004
Patrice Lumumba	SCOT	16 June 2004
Ahmed Ben Bella	SCOT	16 June 2004
Ernst Michanek	GCOT	16 June 2004
Ramesh Chandra	GCOT	16 June 2004
Barbara Castle	GCOT	16 June 2004
Reiulf Steen	GCOT	16 June 2004
Thorvald Stoltenberg	GCOT	16 June 2004
Maxine Waters	GCOT	16 June 2004
Grogoriyevich Vassili Solodovnikov	GCOT	16 June 2004
Robert Hughes	GCOT	16 June 2004
Boudewijn Sjollema	GCOT	16 June 2004
FIFA	SCOT	29 October 2004 [5]
Lennart Johansson	SCOT	29 October 2004
Trevor Richards	SCOT	29 October 2004
Ahmed Sékou Touré	SCOT	29 October 2004
Gamal Abdel Nasser	SCOT	29 October 2004
Dr. Cheddi Jagan	SCOT	26 April 2005 [6]
Ahmed Sukarno	SCOT	26 April 2005
Diallo Telli	SCOT	26 April 2005
Motsamai Keyecwe Mpho	GCOT	26 April 2005
Jawaharlal Nehru	GCOT	26 April 2005
Vladimir Gennadyevich Shubin	GCOT	26 April 2005
Sheikh Yusuf	SCOT	27 September 2005 [7]
Modibo Keita	SCOT	20 April 2006 [8]
Seretse Khama	SCOT	20 April 2006
King Sobhuza II	SCOT	20 April 2006
King Moshoeshoe II	SCOT	20 April 2006
Sotiris Mousouris	GCOT	20 April 2006
Anthony Sampson	GCOT	20 April 2006
Chief Joseph Leabua Jonathan	SCOT	24 April 2007 [9]
Dr. Eric Eustace Williams	SCOT	24 April 2007
Shridath Ramphal	SCOT	24 April 2007
Dr. Ali Al'amin Mazrui	GCOT	24 April 2007
Michael Kitso Dingake	GCOT	24 April 2007
Canon John Collins	GCOT	24 April 2007
Harry Belafonte	GCOT	24 April 2007
Mandlenkosi Aloysius Isaac Zwane	COT	24 April 2007
Salman El-Herfi	COT	24 April 2007
Chief Emeka Anyaoku	SCOT	22 April 2008 [10]
Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon	GCOT	22 April 2008
Philip Potter	GCOT	22 April 2008
Per Wästberg	GCOT	22 April 2008
Ron Dellums	GCOT	22 April 2008
Harry Belafonte	GCOT	22 April 2008
Jerry Dunfey	GCOT	22 April 2008
Linda Biehl	COT	22 April 2008
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz	SCOT	27 March 2009 [11]
BE. Dr. Christian Krause	GCOT	27 March 2009
Sadako Ogata	GCOT	27 March 2009
Marcelino dos Santos	GCOT	27 March 2009
Bengt Säve-Söderbergh	GCOT	27 March 2009
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo	GCOT	27 March 2009
Jennifer Davis	COT	27 March 2009
Anna Abdallah	GCOT	2 December 2009 [12]
Rev. William Cullen Wilcox	GCOT	2 December 2009
Ida Belle Wilcox	GCOT	2 December 2009
José Eduardo dos Santos	SCOT	27 April 2010 [13]
Joseph Sepp Blatter	SCOT	27 April 2010
Jacques Rogge	GCOT	27 April 2010
Issa Hayatou	GCOT	27 April 2010
Herbert Kaiser	GCOT	27 April 2010
Joy Kaiser	GCOT	27 April 2010
Vernon Berrangé	GCOT	27 April 2010
George Houser	GCOT	27 April 2010
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	SCOT	27 April 2011 [14]
Hélène Passtoors	GCOT	27 April 2011
Viacheslav Shiryaev	GCOT	27 April 2011
Edward M. Kennedy	SCOT	27 April 2012 [15]
Prof. Apollon B Davidson	GCOT	27 April 2012
Randall Robinson	GCOT	27 April 2012
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham	SCOT	27 April 2013 [16]
Percival Noel James Patterson	SCOT	27 April 2013
Enuga Screenivasulu Reddy	GCOT	27 April 2013
Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson	GCOT	27 April 2013
Dina Forti	COT	27 April 2013
Giuseppe Soncini	COT	27 April 2013
Lord Richard Samuel Attenborough	GCOT	27 April 2014 [17]
Prof. Gwendolen Margaret Carter	GCOT	27 April 2014
Jeanne Martin Cissé	GCOT	27 April 2014
Jerry David Dammers	GCOT	27 April 2014
Danny Glover	GCOT	27 April 2014
Quincy Delight Jones	GCOT	27 April 2014
Thomas Karis	GCOT	27 April 2014
Lord Neil Kinnock	GCOT	27 April 2014
Alexander Moumbaris	GCOT	27 April 2014
Ruth Neto	GCOT	27 April 2014
Alfre Woodard	GCOT	27 April 2014
Brian Mulroney	SCOT	27 April 2015 [18]
Hashim Mbita	SCOT	27 April 2015
Gareth Evans	GCOT	27 April 2015
Peter Hain	GCOT	27 April 2015
Vladimir Kazimirov	GCOT	27 April 2015
Gay McDougall	GCOT	27 April 2015
Lars Nordbø	GCOT	27 April 2015
Andrey Urnov	GCOT	27 April 2015
Dr. Lim Kok Wing	GCOT	27 April 2015

Refusals

On 28 January 2008, New Zealand anti-apartheid activist John Minto created a furore over his letter to former South African President Thabo Mbeki after being nominated for the award, saying that he would refuse, on principle, to accept any award from the ANC.^[19]

See also

• South African civil honours

References

1. "The Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo". The Presidency. Republic of South Africa. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
2. "2002 National Orders awards". southafrica.info. Brand SA. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
3. "2004 National Orders awards". southafrica.info. Brand SA. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
4. "National Orders awards 29 October 2004". South African Government Information. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
5. "24 outstanding South Africans". southafrica.info. Brand SA. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
6. "National Orders awards 27 April 2005". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
7. "National Orders awards 27 September 2005". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
8. "National Orders awards 20 April 2006". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
9. "National Orders awards 27 April 2007". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
10. "National Orders awards 22 April 2008". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
11. "National Orders awards 27 March 2009". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
12. "National Orders awards December 2009". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
13. "National Orders awards April 2010". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
14. "National Orders awards April 2011". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
15. "National Orders awards April 2012". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
16. Lubisi, Cassius (22 April 2013). "South African National Orders 2013 - The Presidency". politicsweb. South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
17. Lubisi, Cassius. "Media Statement by the Chancellor of the National Orders and Director-General in the Presidency". The Presidency of South Africa. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
18. Lubisi, Cassius. "Presidency announces recipients of National Orders". South African Government Information. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
19. "Open letter to the President of South Africa". John Minto. 2008-01-28.