Ireland–South Africa relations as premature. The Irish embassy opened in Pretoria in 1994. From the early 1960s Ireland vehemently opposed apartheid in South Africa. South African Nelson Mandela, then a dissident, later president, was awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 1988 while a political prisoner; he collected the award upon his release in 1990. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were established in 1994. In November 2003, Brian Cowen, while touring Africa as Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, promised South African President Thabo Mbeki that Ireland would highlight African problems when it ascended to the Council Presidency of the European
Heroes' Day (South Africa) Heroes' Day (South Africa) Kruger Day or Heroes' Day was a public holidays in South Africa from 1882 to 1899 and again from 1952 to 1994, celebrated annually on 10 October in South Africa. The day was named after Paul Kruger, a Boer resistance leader against British rule and later president of the South African Republic, who celebrated his birthday on 10 October. The day was used to underline the values and principles of the Afrikaner people. Kruger Day was first celebrated in 1882, while Paul Kruger was still alive. Kruger was then the vice president, but because he enjoyed