Congress of the People leader and anti-apartheid veteran Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota has died at the age of 77. He passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning at a Johannesburg hospital after a prolonged illness .
Family Confirms Passing
Lekota’s family has confirmed his death. COPE issued a statement requesting privacy for the family during this difficult time, with the party asking the public and media to respect their wishes . Further details regarding memorial arrangements and tributes will be communicated in due course .
Stepping Back from Politics
Lekota had stepped back from active politics last year following the 29 May 2024 elections to focus on his health, having been in and out of hospital over the past year . This led to the appointment of Teboho Loate as interim leader of COPE . His political career effectively ended when COPE failed to secure seats in Parliament during the 2024 general elections .
Early Life and Activism
Born in Kroonstad, Free State, Lekota became politically active during his student days at the University of the North in Limpopo, where he was expelled in the 1970s due to his involvement in student politics and the Black Consciousness Movement . He earned the nickname “Terror” for his footballing skills .
As elected Permanent Organiser for the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO), he was arrested in 1974 and imprisoned on Robben Island, where he met Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners . During his imprisonment, he abandoned his Black Consciousness posture in favour of non-racialism .
Following his release in 1983, he became one of the defendants in the 1985 Delmas Treason Trial and was imprisoned for another four years . He joined the United Democratic Front (UDF) and subsequently the ANC after it was unbanned .
Political Career
After South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, Lekota served as the first Premier of the Free State from 1994 to 1996 and as Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2008 .
A staunch ally of former president Thabo Mbeki, Lekota and other loyalists started an ANC breakaway party, COPE, in 2008 following the 2007 Polokwane conference that ushered in the rise of Jacob Zuma . He led the party from its formation until his retirement from active politics .
Lekota is survived by seven children . He will be laid to rest in his hometown of Bloemfontein
