Georgetown: Guyana’s first Executive President, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham is being posthumously honoured by the Government of South Africa with the Oliver Tambo Award (Gold)
Being one of the Nation’s Highest Awards in South African, the award was established on the 6th December 2002.
The award is granted by the President of South Africa for promoting South African interests and aspirations through co-operation, solidarity, and support. Burnham is being honoured for his integral part in sport boycott against South Africa during the apartheid regime and support for the liberation movement and freedom fighters in South Africa.
The late President’s daughter Ms. Roxanne Van West Charles will be travel to Johannesburg, South Africa to accept the Award on the 27th April.
Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham (20 February 1923–6 August 1985), Caribbean Man of the Century, ruled Guyana from 1964 until his death, first as Premier from 1964 to 1966, then as the Prime Minister from 1966 to 1980 and finally as President from 1980 to 1985. He was awarded Guyana's highest national award, the Order of Excellence (O.E.)
Burnham, an Afro-Guyanese, was born in Kitty, a suburb of Georgetown, in East Demerara, British Guiana. He was one of three children. He attended Central High School and the country's prestigious and elite Queen's College exclusively for boys at that time. In 1942, he won the Guyana Scholarship as the country's top student. The country was, at that the time a colony of Britain. Burnham went on to study law, and received a law degree from the LSE, University of London in 1948. He graduated with honours
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