President Cyril Ramaphosa this week led tributes to Congress of the People (Cope) co-founder Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota, who died aged 77 years after a long illness.
Lekota died early on Wednesday morning surrounded by his loved ones, his eldest son and family spokesperson Kotana Lekota said.
Ramaphosa lauded Lekota for having dedicated his youth and adult life to the struggle for liberation, saying in a statement: “South Africa has lost a patriot, a freedom fighter and a servant of the people whose life story is closely intertwined with our journey of struggle and the realisation of democracy.”
“His life was one of resilience, courage and steadfast belief in justice. We honour him especially for his principled dedication to non-racialism during our struggle and in a liberated South Africa.”
“We deeply value his service to his home province where he served as premier and to our armed forces and our national security, in his role as minister of defence.”
Lekota was an anti-apartheid activist who served a prison sentence on Robben Island for treason. After his release from the prison where Nelson Mandela was also jailed, Lekota joined the United Democratic Front (UDF) and subsequently the ANC after it was unbanned.
In a statement, the presidency noted how, as a member of the South African Students’ Organisation and organiser for the organisation, Lekota was prosecuted by the apartheid regime and imprisoned on Robben Island in 1974 where he spent eight years alongside leaders including Mandela.
Upon his release in 1982, he returned to his life of activism and became a leading figure in the UDF, a non-racial, mass movement of more than 400 grassroots organisations established to oppose the National Party government’s creation of the tricameral parliament, which purported to be racially inclusive.
Lekota’s UDF involvement led to his conviction in 1988 in the four-year Delmas treason trial for treason, subversion and murder, as the state tried to link non-violent resistance by the organisation to violent uprisings in the Vaal.
While he was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, his conviction and those of other trialists were overturned in 1989.
Lekota was a long-serving member and one time national chairperson of the ANC and after the end of apartheid was the first premier of the Free State province from 1994 to 1996. He later served as minister of defence.
Following the Polokwane conference in December 2007, where his ally, former president Thabo Mbeki, lost the party leadership to Jacob Zuma, Lekota and senior ANC leaders, among them Mbazima Shilowa, broke away from the former liberation movement to form Cope.
RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said many would remember Lekota for the political positions he held, “but we should most prominently remember him for his principled positions, even in the face of criticism and humiliation”.
The Forum for South Africa praised what it called Lekota’s principled stance in exposing corruption and speaking out against the moral decay that has weakened many of South Africa’s public institutions.
“Whether one agreed with him politically or not, his willingness to challenge wrongdoing and demand ethical leadership demonstrated his commitment to constitutional democracy and clean governance,” it said.
“At a time when South Africa continues to battle corruption, unemployment, crime and inequality, leaders who consistently raised concerns about accountability leave behind a legacy that must not be ignored. His voice contributed to the broader national conversation about restoring integrity in public life.”
The Congress of the People co-founder was lauded for his principled positions ‘even in the face of criticism and humiliation’ and for being outspoken against corruption