Mosiuoa “Terror” Lekota, a veteran South African anti-apartheid activist and former defense minister, has died at the age of 77 after a long illness, his political party confirmed on Wednesday. His death marks the passing of a key figure who transitioned from a political prisoner on Robben Island to a senior government minister and later a prominent opposition leader.
Lekota’s activism began during apartheid, where he was a fiery member of various youth organizations opposing white minority rule. His resistance led to eight years of imprisonment on Robben Island from 1974 to 1982, where he was held alongside other iconic figures, including Nelson Mandela. Even after his release, he faced repeated jailing for his continued anti-apartheid activities.
Following the end of apartheid and South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, Lekota rose within the African National Congress (ANC), the party that governed the country. He served as Minister of Defense from 1999 to 2008 and also held the position of national chairperson. However, his relationship with the ANC fractured during the internal party conflict that saw President Thabo Mbeki ousted in 2007 and replaced by Jacob Zuma.
In 2008, Lekota broke away to form the Congress of the People (COPE). The new party contested the 2009 general election, winning over 7% of the national vote and 30 parliamentary seats, making it the third-largest opposition party. This split significantly eroded the ANC’s electoral support, with many former members defecting to COPE. The event foreshadowed the ANC’s eventual loss of its outright parliamentary majority in the 2024 election, which forced it into a coalition government.
Despite its initial success, COPE declined due to internal factional struggles. The party failed to win any seats in the 2024 elections, ending Lekota’s tenure as a lawmaker. He stepped back from politics entirely in 2025 for health reasons.
Tributes highlighted his complex legacy. Bantu Holomisa, leader of the opposition United Democratic Movement and a deputy minister of defense, stated, “He decided to leave the ANC and formed COPE with other South Africans, by doing so he literally strengthened the opposition parties.” Holomisa added that Lekota and other ANC dissidents understood “the original agenda” of the liberation struggle.
Lekota’s career spanned the full arc of South Africa’s modern political history: from the defiance campaign against apartheid, through the negotiated transition to democracy, to his instrumental role in building a viable multi-party opposition. His passing is noted as the end of an era for a generation of leaders who shaped both the liberation movement and its aftermath.
