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Eastern Cape premier, Noxolo Kiviet, says the province has taken the first tangible step on the journey to place heritage and cultural tourism at the centre of the provincial economy.
The premier was speaking at the Port Elizabeth International Airport on Friday, during the unveiling of an exhibition titled Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
The exhibition forms part of the roll-out of the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency's Home Of The Legends Campaign, which seeks to re-brand the province as the province that bred many of the country's sporting, political and cultural legends.
Premier Kiviet said the campaign seeks to honour and leverage off the contributions of Eastern Cape heroes.
"There has been a misconception out there that people are leaving this province. They have not looked at the other side of that coin which seeks to say we are breeding leaders and legends for the country in this province. The country benefits and prospers through the leadership brought about by this province" she said.
The unveiling was also attended by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, who arrived in Nelson Mandela Bay as part of government's anti-poverty programme.
He said he remembers one of the Eastern Cape legends, Titus Jobe, whom he described as one of those who answered the call by the ANC in the sixties to go underground.
Motlanthe says Jobe was arrested and spent the 16 years on Robben Island before he was released and made his way to Lesotho.
"He spend 6 months trying to find ways to leave the country and the very first day in which he arrived in Lesotho the Maseru massacre happened and he died there. I think he is one of those legends who should be remembered in this province" Mothlanthe said.
