Mbeki made the remarks during a wreath-laying and tree-planting ceremony held at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, which now hosts the campus.

Established in 1978, the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College was named after the young anti-apartheid activist Solomon Mahlangu, who was executed by SA’s apartheid regime in 1979.

The college was set up to provide education for African National Congress (ANC) members and their families in exile during the height of apartheid oppression.

Reflecting on the legacy of the campus, Mbeki stressed the need to preserve and share its story through a dedicated audio-visual documentary.

“We decided we must come back with a proper team, cameras and all, to tell this story. The historic importance of this place goes beyond SA history, it is central to the continent’s total liberation,” Mbeki said.

The ceremony was part of events leading up to the Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture, scheduled for Saturday in Dar es Salaam. The Solomon Mahlangu campus, alongside the Masimba graves and the former ANC Holland Solidarity Hospital, forms a crucial cluster of historical sites tied to the ANC’s exile years in Tanzania.

Dr Allen Malisa, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Sokoine University of Agriculture, explained the strategic importance of the location.

“This area was chosen because it was low-lying and difficult to detect from the town. Senior ANC youth members taught juniors here while in exile, and this inspired Oliver Tambo to establish an educational facility,” she said.

--SABC/ChannelAfrica--