Mashatile to deliver eulogy at Lekota funeral
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will deliver the Eulogy at the state funeral of former Defence Minister and COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota.
Lekota, who died last week after a long illness, will be laid to rest on Saturday.
The struggle veteran was honoured at two memorial services, one at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Gauteng, and another at in Bloemfontein on Thursday.
Congregants of the St Rose Roman Catholic Church in Bochabela, community members, and political leaders attended a church service to pay their last respects to the late politician.
On Thursday, fellow liberation stalwarts remembered Lekota as a pioneer and forthright activist who loathed corruption.
‘Terror’, as he was commonly known by his comrades and fellow footballers in his youth, served as Free State premier at the dawn of democracy.
Speakers at the Bloemfontein memorial service included former Gauteng Premier Tokyo Sexwale, and Lekota’s former deputy in the Congress of the People (COPE) Smuts Ngonyama.
Ngonyama was among the founding members of the breakaway party, following the 2007 fallout with their former political home the African National Congress.
“As a person that worked with him in the national executive of the ANC, and the working committee, I don’t remember a moment when we were called to the Free State to deal with the question of corruption committed by comrade Terror Lekota. He was a balanced man. A solid comrade.”
President Ramaphosa has directed that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations until the evening of the funeral.
