Mosiuoa Lekota

Mosiuoa Lekota
Lekota in 1999
President of the Congress of the People
In office
16 December 2008 – 4 March 2026
DeputyMbhazima Shilowa
Lynda Odendaal
William Mothipa Madisha
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byTBD
Minister of Defence
In office
26 June 1999 – 25 September 2008
PresidentThabo Mbeki
Preceded byJoe Modise
Succeeded byCharles Nqakula
1st Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces
In office
6 February 1997 – 21 June 1999
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byNaledi Pandor
1st Premier of the Free State
In office
7 May 1994 – 18 December 1996
Succeeded byIvy Matsepe-Casaburri
Personal details
BornMosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota
(1948-08-13)13 August 1948
Kroonstad, South Africa
Died4 March 2026(2026-03-04) (aged 77)
Johannesburg, South Africa
PartyCongress of the People
(2008–2026)
Other political
affiliations
African National Congress (1999–2008)
SpouseCynthia Lekota
Children4
Occupation
    • Politician
    • Anti-apartheid activist
NicknameTerror Lekota
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "honorific-prefix". Replace with "honorific_prefix".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "otherparty". Replace with "other_party".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "honorific-suffix". Replace with "honorific_suffix".

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.

Previously as a member of the African National Congress, under President Thabo Mbeki, he served in the Cabinet of South Africa as Minister of Defence from 17 June 1999 to 25 September 2008. His nickname Terror Lekota comes from his playing style on the soccer field. He was a leader of the United Democratic Front and a key defendant in the Delmas Treason Trial, 1985 to 1988.