President Cyril Ramaphosa has hailed the recipients of the 2026 National Orders as men and women whose contributions have helped shape a democratic South Africa founded on equality, justice and dignity for all.
Jubilation, applause and a celebratory atmosphere marked the occasion at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House in Tshwane on Tuesday, as recipients, their families, dignitaries and guests gathered to witness the country’s highest honours being bestowed.
The venue was filled with excitement as moments of pride and emotion punctuated the formal proceedings.
Speaking moments before the presentation of the country’s highest honours, the President said the recipients had, through their work and activism, become pillars of the nation.
“We have gathered here this morning to honour those among us who, in many diverse ways, have shaped the country that we call home,” President Ramaphosa said.
The National Orders are the highest awards bestowed by the President on South African citizens and eminent foreign nationals who have made exceptional contributions to the country and humanity.
President Ramaphosa said the recipients represented generations of patriots whose sacrifices and achievements helped give life to the dream of a free and just South Africa.
“Their activism has extended to music, politics, sports, literature, culture, medicine, science, education and the advancement of human rights. In their many fields of endeavour, they have made an invaluable contribution to our national life,” the President said.
Read I The Presidency announces recipients of National Orders
The President conferred the Order of Ikhamanga, the Order of the Baobab, the Order of Luthuli, the Order of Mapungubwe and the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo.
Speaking on the Order of Ikhamanga, which recognises excellence in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport, President Ramaphosa said this year’s recipients reflected the enduring power of sports, arts and culture to capture the hopes and triumphs of the nation.
“It is a testimony also to the diversity and richness of the South African experience and the many ways in which the life of our nation is interpreted and expressed,” he said.
On the Order of Mapungubwe, which recognises South Africans who have attained excellence and exceptional achievement for the benefit of the country and beyond, the President said the achievements of this year’s recipients demonstrated South Africa’s growing international standing in science and medicine.
“Their achievements remind us that scientific endeavour is inseparable from the pursuit of human progress and well-being.
“We seek knowledge not for its own sake, but to protect lives, to improve health and to build a better life for all,” he said.
The President said recipients of the Order of the Baobab had made their mark in fields that became the building blocks of modern South African society.
Meanwhile, recipients of the Order of Luthuli were recognised for their dedication to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa.
“It recognises the men and women whose activism lit the path to our freedom and to those who continue to keep that flame burning,” the President said.
He emphasised the importance of honouring liberation struggle veterans and stalwarts while they are still alive to share their stories and preserve the country’s living history.
“Though the passage of time has robbed us of many of the brave men and women who were at the forefront of the struggle for liberation, we celebrate those who are still here: to tell their stories and to impart a living legacy to the next generation,” he said.
President Ramaphosa also paid tribute to foreign nationals honoured with the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo for their friendship and solidarity with South Africa during the struggle against apartheid.
“We did not win our freedom alone. We were carried by a great tide of human solidarity that stretched across our continent and the globe,” he said.
The President thanked the families of recipients for supporting and sharing these distinguished South Africans with the nation.
“I would like to acknowledge the families present here today and thank them on behalf of all South Africans for lending us these great sons and daughters of the soil,” he said.
President Ramaphosa said the recipients reflected the same values of dignity, equality and freedom that underpin the Constitution.
“In a land of innumerable heroes and heroines, the South African people have decided that it is these men and women they will lift to the sky. This is the greatest honour,” the President said.
He officially conferred the National Orders under powers vested in him by the Constitution, declaring the recipients esteemed Members of the Orders.
“The people of South Africa salute them all,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
