Mosiuoa Lekota, the 77-year-old former leader of the Congress of the People (COPE) and a veteran of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle, has died, COPE confirmed Friday. Lekota, who stepped away from frontline politics in 2025, had been battling health problems in recent years.
In a brief statement, COPE leader Teboho Loate said Lekota died “after a period of illness.” The Lekota family has asked for privacy, Loate said, and details about memorial arrangements would be announced in due course.
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Lekota was a former Robben Island prisoner and played a key role in the formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF), a coalition of civic, church and trade union groups that helped coordinate resistance to apartheid in the 1980s. He later rose through the ranks of the African National Congress (ANC), serving as the party’s chairperson during Thabo Mbeki’s presidency from 2002 to 2007.
After the elevation of Jacob Zuma within the ANC, Lekota left the party and in 2008 helped establish the Congress of the People. COPE was formed as a breakaway party by former ANC members and positioned itself as an alternative to the ruling party at a time of deep internal divisions within the ANC.
Throughout his public life, Lekota was widely recognised as a figure who bridged the liberation-era struggle and the fraught politics of the democratic era. His career encompassed imprisonment, party leadership, and the founding of a new political movement that sought to reshape South Africa’s political landscape.
Key facts
- Age at death: 77
- Stepped away from politics: 2025
- Role in anti-apartheid struggle: former Robben Island prisoner; United Democratic Front organiser
- ANC position: party chairperson, 2002–2007
- Founded Congress of the People (COPE): 2008
Lekota’s death closes a chapter on one of the more turbulent trajectories in post-apartheid South African politics — from liberation struggle activist to senior ANC official and, later, leader of a breakaway party. Tributes and further comment from political leaders and organisations are expected as details of memorial arrangements are released.
By News-room
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
