We had to forge an alliance of strength based not on colour but

Hear the voice of Oliver Tambo, leader in exile, comrade of Mandela, steadfast guardian of a people’s struggle, who declared: “We had to forge an alliance of strength based not on colour but on commitment to the total abolition of apartheid and oppression; we would seek allies, of whatever colour, as long as they were totally agreed on our liberation aims.” These words are a torch in the night, a reminder that in the struggle against injustice, true unity is not forged by blood or skin, but by the fire of shared conviction. For oppression seeks to divide, but liberation demands solidarity across all boundaries.

The origin of this saying lies in the crucible of South Africa’s apartheid era. The land was broken into fragments by laws of separation, where race determined rights, and skin determined destiny. Yet in the face of such cruelty, Tambo and his comrades in the African National Congress proclaimed a higher law: that strength was to be built not by exclusion but by inclusion, not by suspicion but by solidarity. He knew that the path to freedom was too heavy for one people alone; only through alliances broad and unyielding could the chains of apartheid be shattered.

This wisdom is as old as human struggle itself. Recall the great war of the Greek city-states against Persia. Athens and Sparta, rivals to the death, set aside their quarrels when the empire of Xerxes threatened their freedom. They stood shoulder to shoulder at Salamis and Plataea, not because they were alike, but because they were united in their aim: to resist tyranny. So too did Tambo proclaim: the cause of freedom is larger than race, larger than tribe, larger even than nation—it is the cause of humanity itself.

At the heart of his words lies a challenge to the spirit of prejudice. Many in the struggle might have been tempted to mirror the divisions of their oppressors, to seek vengeance upon difference. But Tambo understood that to build the future upon such foundations was to rebuild oppression in another form. Instead, he sought allies of every colour, so long as they were true in their commitment. In this way, he purified the struggle, shaping it not into a cry of revenge but into a call for liberation that embraced all who yearned for justice.

There is here also a lesson in character and discernment. For not every voice that claims to be a friend is worthy of trust. Tambo’s words remind us that alliance is not about outward appearance, nor about convenience, but about steadfast agreement on principles. In life, as in politics, we must choose companions not for what they seem, but for what they stand for. Only when all march with the same aim, heart bound to heart, can victory be secured.

Consider the example of Frederick Douglass, the great abolitionist of America. Though born into chains, he sought allies not only among the enslaved but among free men and women, black and white, who believed in the destruction of slavery. By binding himself to all who shared the cause, he raised the struggle from the cry of a few to the movement of a nation. His life, like Tambo’s, shows that true liberation is born when the oppressed refuse to walk alone.

The lesson for us is clear: do not let divisions of colour, class, or creed blind you to the deeper bond of justice. When you fight for what is right—whether in your home, your community, or your world—seek those whose hearts burn with the same fire. Do not ask first where they come from or what they look like; ask instead what they believe, what they will sacrifice, what truth they are willing to uphold. In such alliances lies unbreakable strength.

Thus, O seeker, remember Tambo’s words. An alliance of strength is not built on the shallow soil of similarity, but on the bedrock of shared conviction. When you stand for justice, stand with all who will walk the path beside you, regardless of their colour or station. For in unity across difference lies the true power to topple oppression, to heal nations, and to raise the character of humanity itself. This is the wisdom of the ancients, spoken anew in the voice of a liberator.