Mourners gather for Mosiuoa ‘Terror’ Lekota memorial in Soweto
Hundreds of mourners are gathering at the Regina Mundi Catholic church in Soweto to remember the late Congress of the People (COPE) President Mosiuoa Lekota.
The anti-apartheid stalwart died last week at the age of 77.
READ: COPE President Mosiuoa Lekota dies
Mourners have started to arrive here at the historic church in Rockville, Soweto, to pay tribute to the former member of parliament.
Lekota served as Premier of the Free State and later served as Defence Minister under former president Thabo Mbeki’s administration.
In a tribute statement, the Thabo Mbeki Foundation described Lekota as a fearless son of the soil who gave the greater part of his life to the cause of freedom, justice, and dignity for all South Africans.
“The truest measure of a patriot is frequently revealed not under the bright lights of public office, but in the agonizing, quiet confines of solitude. Behind the cold stone wall of Robben Island, stripped of his liberty, isolated from his family, his vision for this country never withered into cynicism. Instead, it deepened.
STATEMENT OF THE THABO MBEKI FOUNDATION ON THE PASSING OF MOSIUOA "TERROR" LEKOTA pic.twitter.com/HW9UcsOOd4
— Thabo Mbeki Foundation (@TMFoundation_) March 6, 2026
Lekota spent six years on Robben Island after he was arrested and charged under the Terrorism Act in 1974.
Following his release in 1984, Lekota joined the United Democratic Front (UDF) and became one of its influential leaders.
It is during this period that he was arrested alongside other UDF leaders, including former North West Premier Popo Molefe, in what became known as the Delmas Trial.
In honour of Lekota’s illustrious political history, the entrance to the church has been decorated with banners of the party he co-founded with former Gauteng Premier Mbazima Shilowa, as well as the colours of the UDF.
Hundreds of mourners are gathering at the Regina Mundi Catholic church in Soweto to remember former Congress of the People (COPE) President Mosiuoa Lekota.
— Jacaranda FM Newswatch (@JacaNewswatch) March 11, 2026
The anti-apartheid stalwart died last week at the age of 77. #RIPMosiuoaLekota pic.twitter.com/ldXq3nRlT9
Meanwhile, residents of Soweto have described the late former Cabinet Minister as a community builder and a man of integrity.
“He has worked so hard. What’s really inspiring is that he left the [African National Congress] to form COPE, seeing that there’s too much corruption. I honour him for that.”
Lekota left the ANC after the party’s 2007 elective conference in Polokwane.
Among the speakers expected at Wednesday's memorial is ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane.
ALSO READ:
