Mosiuoa Lekota, the anti-apartheid activist who left the African National Congress to found a new political movement, has died at the age of 77, his party confirmed on Wednesday. He passed away after a period of illness and had recently stepped back from active politics.
Lekota was a close ally of former president Thabo Mbeki and served as South Africa’s defence minister from 1999 to 2008. Nicknamed “Terror” in his youth for his skill on the football field, he later became a prominent political figure.
He left the ANC in protest at Mbeki’s removal from office and was subsequently voted off the party’s National Executive Committee after criticising Mbeki’s successor, Jacob Zuma.
In 2008, Lekota co-founded the Congress of the People (COPE) in an attempt to challenge the ANC’s dominance. COPE secured roughly 7% of the vote in its first national election in 2009 but has since seen its support decline, receiving less than 1% in subsequent elections.
Lekota’s political journey began as a student activist in the 1970s, and he later served time on Robben Island, where anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was also imprisoned.