Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Queen, post: 88207, member: 27"] 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 [LIST] [*]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. [/LIST] Lekota's anti-apartheid roots [LIST] [*]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. [/LIST] High-profile government career [LIST] [*]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. [/LIST] COPE breakaway and its fallout [LIST] [*]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. [/LIST] Cross-spectrum tributes pouring in [LIST] [*]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. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

Name