By Matshidiso Selebeleng

The Bloemfontein City Hall was filled to capac ity yesterday as the nation paused to honour a fallen political baobab. The atmosphere was solemn yet unifying as friends, family, freedom fight ers, and politicians gathered to pay tribute to the late revolutionary, Mosiuoa ‘Terror’ Lekota. A revered anti-apartheid behemoth and seasoned politician who believed the strength of a nation lies in the unity of its people, Lekota passed away last week Wednesday at the age of 77 following a prolonged illness. The former Free State Premier - the province’s first Premier in post-apartheid South Africa - was hailed as a liberation stalwart and a non-racial leader. He belonged to a rare generation that resisted being vic t ims of the apartheid regime and fought for a demo cratic future. Beyond his public life, Lekota was described as a jo vial family man who always prioritised his loved ones. His family remembered him as a figure of warmth who balanced his political duties with genuine affec t ion. “He was always a present father within the con straints of his political career, even through hard ships, he played that role with so much adoration. He was committed and made sure that when he was home, there was warmth and love,” shared Lekota’s niece, Alice Pula. Pula noted that Lekota carried the struggles of the co-existed peacefully. Executive Mayor of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Gregory Nthatisi, noted that Lekota also suffered the family separations that were quite common under apartheid. people in the same heart that carried his family. She added that his passing is a painful loss that has left their hearts shattered. The family has vowed to pre serve Lekota’s teachings and walk in his footprints to ensure his legacy is never abandoned. Lekota was further honoured by comrades who walked the difficult path of the anti-apartheid strug gle alongside him. These peers remembered how he consistently upheld the fundamental objectives of the liberation movement. From the era of repression to the shaping of a new South Africa, Lekota remained committed to the op pressed masses. Professor Itumeleng Mosala, a veteran of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) of Azania, shared memories of Lekota’s youth. He noted that he could not remember a time when Lekota was away from the political arena. “I’ve never known a time when Lekota was not in politics. He is a lifetime politician, I have never known him to work anywhere else except in politics,” Mosala remarked. He recalled the period when many leaders were imprisoned on Robben Island or forced into exile in neighbouring and distant countries. Mosala explained that they were not merely organ ising parties or organisations during that era. Instead, they were also focused on organising the minds and souls of black people to achieve true liberation. Lekota is widely regarded as the father of the ‘free’ Free State who envisioned a country where everyone “We are here talking about someone who refused to be a victim of apartheid, someone who, like many others, suffered the separation of the husband from wife, children from parents, and families going in dif ferent directions,” he said. Nthatisi reminisced about Lekota’s integrity, recall ing a time when he discovered corruption and con sulted the community on how to proceed. This trans parency showed his continued intentions to serve the people with honesty. The Mangaung mayor also highlighted that Lekota was among those sent to Robben Island for his activism in 1974. This followed his work as an organiser for the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO). Among the notable attendees was businessman and anti-apartheid activist, Tokyo Sexwale, who also spent years on Robben Island. Sexwale shared that seeing Lekota succumb to illness was a heartbreaking experience for those who knew his strength. “We speak with mixed emotions, it’s not about merely how he lived or what he died for, but it is about us learning from the examples of his methods and the method of his example,” Sexwale told the mourners in Bloemfontein. He warned that the poor in South Africa are de scending further into grinding poverty, while corrup t ion continues to rise, while lamenting that it is be coming increasingly difficult to distinguish between personal pockets and public funds. Lekota served the African National Congress (ANC) until 2008 when he broke away to establish the Con gress of the People (COPE). He served as the presi dent of COPE from its formation in December 2008 until his death. Speaking on behalf of the party, Member of Par liament, Pakes Dikgetsi, described Lekota as a man who sacrificed his freedom for the country. He also recalled that Lekota was still a young student when he first stood up against injustice. “The life of Mosiuoa ‘Terror’ Lekota was not ordi nary - it was a life lived in the service of something greater than himself … the freedom, dignity, and democratic future of South Africa,” he said. Dikgetsi stated that when a towering baobab falls, the earth trembles, and when a leader like Lekota falls, the nation must pause. He believes that through leaders of Lekota’s calibre and stature, the public is instinctively aware that they are reflecting on a gen eration that gave its youth and life for others. The people who served and fought side by side with him encouraged South Africans to act on the values he stood for. They reminded the crowd that he was a national leader who did not merely serve for political brand ing. Lekota will be honoured with a Special Official Cat egory 2 funeral tomorrow, 14 March 2026, in Bloemfontein.