Port Elizabeth - Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe has on Friday kicked off a two-day anti-poverty programme in the Eastern Cape with a visit to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Accompanied by Energy Minister Ben Martins and Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane, Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Mayor Benson Fihla and other dignitaries from the Eastern Cape Provincial cabinet, Motlanthe launched the Home of the Legends Exhibition at the Port Elizabeth International Airport.
The exhibition forms part of a campaign by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency to promote the province as the Home of Legends - a campaign displaying a number of billboards that will be positioned at provincial gateways, including airports and provincial entry points such as the Garden Route.
Kiviet said the Home of Legends Exhibition was also an attempt by the provincial government to boost the tourism of the province.
“This is part of rebuilding and rebranding the province and we hope it will also promote tourism in the province”.
Speaking at the launch this morning, Motlanthe said the Eastern Cape had produced many legends and it was important that they were remembered for the contribution that made to the development of the country and in the fight against apartheid.
Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki who were the first and second Presidents of a democratic South Africa respectively, both hail from the province. Motlanthe also singled out Titus Jobo knows as “Oom Tira” who answered the call to take up arms after the banning of the ANC in the 1960’s.
“On this occasion I want to remember one such legend the late comrade Titus Jobo … In his attempt to go in to exile for training, he was arrested and sentenced to 16 years. Upon his release he spent six months inside the country trying to find ways to leave to Lesotho and when he arrived that very same day, the Maseru massacre happened and he fell there”.
During the two-day visit, Motlanthe is expected to visit a number of projects in the area and attend a public meeting with the local community. – SAnews.gov.za
