By: JN Reporter

Former President Thabo Mbeki has joined thousands of mourners in paying tribute to Anti-apartheid veteran and former Free State Premier, Mosiuoa 'Terror' Lekota, the founder of Congress of the People, who died at the age of 77.

Lekota passed away in a Johannesburg hospital in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a prolonged battle with ill-health.

Below is Mbeki’s full statement

STATEMENT OF THE THABO MBEKI FOUNDATION ON THE PASSING OF MOSIUOA "TERROR" LEKOTA

It was with immense sadness and a deep sense of loss that the Thabo Mbeki Foundation received the news of the passing of Mosiuoa Lekota, a fearless son of the soil who gave the greater part of his life to the cause of freedom, justice, and the dignity of all South Africans.

There are lives so fully given to a cause that when they end, one feels the tremor in the foundations of the house they helped to build. Such was the life of Mosiuoa Lekota.

The German playwright and poet Bertolt Brecht wrote, "There are those who struggle for an hour and that is good. There are others who struggle for a year and they are better.

There are those who struggle many years, and they are better still. But there are those who struggle all their lives: these are the indispensable ones."

This quotation perfectly captures the life and times of "Terror" Lekota. He belongs to that rare category of individuals who gave absolutely everything to the struggle of the South African people. His life was the very embodiment of selfless dedication to freeing his people from the yoke of apartheid oppression. It can be said without fear of contradiction that our victory over that brutal system would not have been possible without the unwavering commitment of indispensable patriots like him.

History demands much of those who dare to confront it, and Mosiuoa Lekota answered that call at every critical turn in our nation's journey. He threw himself against the brutal machinery of apartheid with relentless force. Yet, he also possessed the quiet discipline required to forge a new, inclusive South Africa when the time finally came. His conviction never wavered. Whether he was sparking the militant energy of the youth and student movements or bearing the heavy responsibilities of executive leadership in our new republic, his dedication remained an unbroken thread.

The truest measure of a patriot is frequently revealed not under the bright lights of public office, but in the agonizing, quiet confines of solitude. Behind the cold stone of Robben Island, stripped of his liberty and isolated from his family, his vision for this country never withered into cynicism. Instead, it deepened. We are sharply reminded of the poignant words he penned to his young daughter from his prison cell.

It was a declaration that captured the very heartbeat of the struggle:

"Above all then, my dear, I am in prison for the sake of peace for our country and the world. I am in prison so that our generation may leave to yours and later generations a country and a world that has the greatest potential for progress."

This clarity of purpose was the bedrock of his sacrifice. He surrendered his own youth and endured years of subsequent trials and detentions so that future generations might inherit a land unbound by racial supremacy. When he repeatedly emerged from the crucible of the apartheid prison system, he did not seek sanctuary or rest. Recognising the fierce urgency of the moment, he threw himself entirely into forging broad united fronts against white minority rule. He understood implicitly that the architecture of freedom requires both relentless resistance and radical unity.

As we navigate the contemporary complexities of the democracy he bled to secure, we must resist the temptation to consign his legacy to the archives of history. To appropriately honour Mosiuoa Lekota is to actively defend the democratic institutions he helped birth. We are challenged to ensure that the "potential for progress" he envisioned in the dark of his cell translates into tangible dignity and economic inclusion for all South Africans today.

To the Lekota family, to his wife Cynthia and his children, and to all who loved and admired him, the Thabo Mbeki Foundation extends its heartfelt condolences. We share in your sorrow. In losing Mosiuoa Lekota, we have lost a patriot, a principled leader, and a soldier of the people.

Robala ka kgotso, Ntate Lekota. The country you fought so hard to free will not forget you.