Mourners gather in Bloemfontein to honour struggle veteran Mosiuoa Lekota

Mourners gathered in Bloemfontein to bid farewell to veteran politician and anti-apartheid activist Mosiuoa Lekota, who will be laid to rest in a Special Official Funeral Category 2. The ceremony brought together political leaders, struggle veterans, and community members who came to honour a man remembered as both a fierce leader and a deeply human presence in South African politics.

Among those in attendance is former president Thabo Mbeki, alongside former and current cabinet members. Deputy President Paul Mashatile is also present and is expected to deliver a eulogy later in the proceedings, reflecting on Lekota’s political legacy and his contribution to the country’s democratic project.

For many who knew him personally, Lekota’s political stature was matched by his warmth and accessibility. Former finance minister Trevor Manuel described him as a leader whose defining quality was his connection to ordinary people. Manuel reflected that the best way to pay tribute to Lekota was to understand the kind of person he was.

“He had the largest heart,” Manuel said, recalling a man who found his greatest joy among communities rather than behind the walls of power. “He was happiest among the people.”

Manuel added that South Africa may be losing a particular style of leadership that Lekota embodied, one rooted in humility and proximity to the public. “I think there is a distinct style that we are losing by always being able to reach out to people,” he said. “He was at his best when he was among the people.”

Lekota’s political life was shaped by decades of struggle against apartheid. He spent years imprisoned on Robben Island until 1982, alongside many other anti-apartheid activists. After his release, he remained deeply involved in the political mobilisation that characterised the final years of apartheid rule.

He became a founding member of the United Democratic Front (UDF), a powerful anti-apartheid coalition, and in 1983 was elected as its publicity secretary. The organisation played a critical role in coordinating mass democratic resistance across the country.

In democratic South Africa, Lekota continued to shape public life. He became the first premier of the Free State province and later served as chairperson of the National Council of Provinces before going on to serve as minister of defence.

He would later found the Congress of the People (COPE), cementing his place as one of the country’s most enduring political figures.

For Manuel, the message young South Africans should remember is simple: Lekota led with conviction but always with the interests of the people at heart. His leadership, he said, was fierce but never detached from the lives of those he served.