South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Veteran and Ex-Defense Minister Mosiuoa ‘Terror’ Lekota Dies at 77

March 13, 2026

Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota, a distinguished South African anti-apartheid activist and former defense minister, has passed away at 77 following an extended illness. He spent eight years imprisoned on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela and other activists between 1974 and 1982 for opposing white minority rule. After serving as defense minister and ANC national chairperson, he broke from the governing party in 2008 to establish the Congress of the People (COPE), which initially became the third-largest opposition party but eventually declined due to internal conflicts.

Who is affected

Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota (deceased)
The Congress of the People (COPE) political party
The African National Congress (ANC)
Opposition parties in South Africa
Former ANC members who joined COPE
South Africa's political landscape broadly

What action is being taken

Tributes are pouring in from across South Africa's political landscape
COPE has an acting leader in place following Lekota's departure

Why it matters

Lekota's death marks the loss of a significant figure who played dual important roles in South African history: as an anti-apartheid freedom fighter who endured eight years of imprisonment alongside Nelson Mandela, and as a political leader who strengthened opposition politics by breaking away from the ANC when he believed it had strayed from its original agenda. His formation of COPE contributed to the gradual erosion of the ANC's electoral dominance, which ultimately resulted in the party losing its outright majority for the first time in 2024, fundamentally changing South Africa's governing structure to a coalition government.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint