The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has found that veteran politician Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota had diminished capacity before he died in an estate battle that has pitted the 77-year-old’s estranged wife, Cynthia Lekota, against his partner, Luzelle Adams.
“It is declared that the now-deceased patient, Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota, was of unsound mind and incapable of managing his own affairs from 25 May 2025 to the date of his death on 4 March 2026,” ruled Judge Anthony Miller.
Separate payments of R1 084 725 and R600 000 were made to Adams during Mosioua’s period of diminished capacity. The court also found that Adams sent herself R150 000 and her lawyers R250 000 after Mosioua’s son, Kotane Lekota, was appointed curator of the estate.
“Luzelle Adams emptied Mosiuoa Lekota’s bank account, presumably while the parties were negotiating in good faith at court,” said Judge Miller, adding, “while it may have vested in Mr Lekota, himself the holder of an undivided half share, certainly never vested at all in Adams and yet she exercised control over it in circumstances where Mrs Lekota had neither consented.”
The court ordered Adams to pay Cynthia’s legal costs and accepted the request to hear the estate case as an urgent matter.
Although Cynthia and Mosioua were married in a community of property, the high court appointed Kotane as an interim curator of the estate, with an order to preserve the financial affairs of Mosioua’s 16-year-old son with Adams.
“Mrs Lekota continued to live in Bloemfontein from whence the family hailed and Mr Lekota lived in Gauteng. While living in Gauteng, Mr Lekota was in a relationship with Adams and a child, who is presently 16-years-old (his minor son), was born of the relationship,” noted Judge Miller.
“Mr Lekota introduced Adams to Mrs Lekota as his ‘partner’ and when she asked what this meant, he ‘merely reiterated that she is his partner and stated that I am his wife’. The relationship between the two women was characterised by Mrs Lekota as being one where they ‘tolerated each other’,” stated Miller.
Mosioua suffered a stroke in 2018 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The high court considered the fact that while in hospital, he was “throughout, visited by his eldest son Mr Kotane Lekota”, who was appointed estate administrator.
Although separated, Cynthia paid multiple visits to Mosioua and enquired about the suspended medical aid and the monthly R5 000 financial support.
“The patient informed me that he does not know who his broker or financial adviser is or what the status of his bank accounts were, nor what the usernames and passwords are, ” said Cynthia in court papers.
Adams missed multiple court appearances and argued through her lawyers that she was “granted access to certain banking facilities by virtue of a lawful power of attorney granted by [Mosioua]”.
Adams said she “is neither authorised nor obliged to disclose banking login credentials, PINs, passwords or security information to third parties. Such disclosure would be improper and potentially unlawful”.
The dispute over the estate escalated when Mosioua incorrectly identified Adams as Cynthia during a joint meeting.
“It was at this stage that Mr Lekota confused [Luzelle] Adams with the mothers of his other children and told her that she ‘must remember that Ms Adams was with him on Robben Island and that [Adams] supported him during his incarceration.’ It was clear to Mrs Lekota at this stage that he was clearly confused because Adams had not even been born at the time of his incarceration on Robben Island,” said Judge Miller.
Cynthia was subsequently barred from accessing Mosioua’s medical records. Judge Miller raised concern over the doctor’s reluctance to show her the medical records, while the doctor had concluded Mosioua had diminished capacity.
The high court will hear further arguments on how Mosioua’s estate should be divided while Kotane administers the financial affairs.
Mosiuoa Lekota’s partner, Luzelle Adams, sent herself R150 000 and her lawyers R250 000 after son was court-appointed estate curator
