UDM asks Thoko Didiza to honor Terror Lekota

Parliamentary honors for the late Mosiuoa Lekota are officially on the table after the UDM pushed Speaker Didiza to act.

UDM's formal request to Parliament

• The United Democratic Movement asked Speaker Thoko Didiza for official recognition.
• Lekota passed away on 4 March 2026 at age 77.
• Options floated range from a special debate to formal tributes.
• Bantu Holomisa has been vocal about Lekota's bravery and integrity.

Lekota's anti-apartheid roots

• Mosiuoa Patrick Lekota earned his nickname for his fearless apartheid-era resistance.
• Robben Island detention put him alongside Nelson Mandela.
• His activism ran through the Black Consciousness Movement in the 1970s.
• Later involvement with the United Democratic Front and ANC followed.

High-profile government career

• Lekota served as the founding Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces from 1997 to 1999.
• His Defence Minister tenure stretched from 1999 through 2008.
• Military integration of former liberation armies fell under his watch.
• The provincial premier and ANC national chairperson also sat on his resume.

COPE breakaway and its fallout

• Frustration with ANC leadership under Jacob Zuma sparked the split.
• Lekota co-founded the Congress of the People with Mbhazima Shilowa in 2008.
• COPE struggled with internal divisions and shrinking support over time.
• Lekota pitched it as a principled alternative in South African politics.

Cross-spectrum tributes pouring in

• Cyril Ramaphosa called him a liberation-struggle giant.
• DA and EFF both acknowledged his principled governance stances.
• Even former critics recognized his consistency and courage.
• Parliament traditionally honors departed leaders through motions or memorials.