Mosiuoa Lekota

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Mr MGP Lekota

Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota (13 August 1948 -) is the current (as of 2006) South African Minister of Defence, a position he has held since 17 June 1999. He was previously known as Terror Lekota because of his playing style on the soccer field.

[edit] Early life

Lekota had his primary education at Emma Farm School and most of his secondary education at Mariazel High School in Matatiele. However, he matriculated at St. Francis College in Marianhill in 1969. Although he enrolled for a social science degree at the University of the North, Lekota was expelled due to his Student Representative Council (SRC) and African National Congress (ANC) aligned South African Students' Organisation (SASO) activities in 1972.

[edit] Political career

Lekota became a permanent organiser for SASO in 1974, but was imprisoned at Robben Island Prison for "conspiring to commit acts endangering the maintenance of law and order" during the same year. He was released from prison in 1982.

After his release, he was elected publicity secretary of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1983. In 1985, Lekota was detained and later sentenced in the Delmas trial. However, he was released in 1989 after the Appeal Court reviewed the sentence.

In 1990, Lekota became convenor of the ANC in Southern Natal and he was subsequently elected to the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) and its National Working Committee (NWC). He was appointed as the ANC's Chief of Intelligence in 1991 and was elected as the secretary for the organisation's election commission in 1992. After the first fully democratic elections were held in South Africa in 1994, Lekota was elected as premier of the Free State province. He held this position until 1996.

Lekota subsequently served as the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces from 1997 to 1999, before being appointed Minister of Defence. He was also elected National Chairperson of the ANC in December 1997, a position which he still holds.

Lekota is married.