President Jacob Zuma has called on teachers to honour the legacy of former ANC president Oliver Tambo by putting a stop to violence in schools.

Speaking at Tambo’s centenary celebrations in his birth village of Nkantolo in the Wild Coast Region of the Eastern Cape‚ Zuma said Tambo had wanted to see children from poor areas receiving good education in science and other critical subjects.

Tambo was once a maths and science teacher.

“There should be no violence in schools‚ there should be no abuse of pupils by teachers and also abuse of pupils by other pupils must not happen‚” he said.

Zuma was given a rousing welcome when he arrived in Mbizana Local Municipality. In Ludeke village he flicked on the electricity in the home of 81-year-old Iris Nomthetho Mnyameni. She had recently received an RDP house from the government.

After that he went to Nkantolo where he addressed thousands of people who had gathered for the main Tambo celebrations.