The Tragic Finals Days Of 'Terror Lekota: The man who defied the ANC and shook South African politics to its core has taken his final bow.
Mosiuoa 'Terror' Lekota, the legendary anti-apartheid firebrand and founder of the Congress of the People (COPE), has died at the age of 77. The news, which broke in the early hours of Wednesday morning, has sent ripples across the political landscape he once dominated. Lekota, who famously served eight years on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela, passed away at a Johannesburg hospital after a long battle with illness that had seen him step back from the public eye in 2025.
His death marks the end of an era for a man who wasn't afraid to bite the hand that once fed him.
In 2008, Lekota led a historic breakaway from the ANC, accusing the party of turning its back on its founding principles. At the time, he warned: "Tribalism is the most serious danger to our country and to our people." While COPE's influence eventually waned, his legacy as a man of conviction remains untouched.
His remains are currently being transported to Bloemfontein for a final farewell. Political rivals have set aside their differences to pay tribute, with the ANC acknowledging his "complex political legacy." One thing is for certain: South Africa has lost one of its most fearless voices.
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