Mosiuoa Lekota, a South African politician and activist, died on March 4, 2026, in Johannesburg at the age of 77.
He was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary for the African National Congress and served jail time with Nelson Mandela from 1985. Lekota later left the ANC to form the Congress of the People splinter party in 2008 and served as its president from December 16, 2008.
Before that, he was Minister of Defence in South Africa’s Cabinet from 1999 to 2008.
Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota (13 August 1948 – 4 March 2026) was a South African anti-Apartheid revolutionary for the African National Congress (ANC) who served jail time with Nelson Mandela from 1985 and who left the ANC to form the Congress of the People (Cope) splinter party in 2008. He served as its President from 16 December 2008.