Zephania Mothopeng

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Zephania Lekoame Mothopeng (10 September 1913 – 23 October 1990) was a South African political activist and member of the

Pan-Africanist Congress
(PAC).

Early life

Mothopeng was born near

Kwa-Zulu Natal,[1]
: 200  where he and three other colleagues defiantly sat on the seats reserved for European staff members. For this they were dismissed but later reinstated. He completed his postgraduate teachers diploma at the college in 1940.

In 1941, Mothopeng took up a teaching post at Orlando Secondary School in Soweto and settled in Johannesburg.[1]: 200  He served as president of the Transvaal Teachers Association in 1950.[1]: 201  It was in this capacity that he became one of the most outspoken opponents of the introduction of Bantu education.[2]

Political history

Mothopeng began his struggle against

strikes, boycotts
and non-collaboration with the oppressive authorities.

As a member of the PAC, Mothopeng was arrested several times, first in 1960 for two years for taking part in the Defiance Campaign. He was released in 1962 on completion of his jail term. He was detained again in 1964 for furthering the aims of a banned organisation, the PAC. His arrest followed a massive police swoop on the PAC underground movement called Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), formerly known as Poqo. APLA was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress. Mothopeng, John Ganya, Mark Shinners, and others, played a leading role in establishing contact with the external mission of the PAC in Tanzania, recruiting new members to the PAC, establishing underground cells, and sending recruits outside the country to join APLA in exile.

Mothopeng served a three-year sentence on Robben Island for furthering the aims of the PAC. He served alongside Nelson Mandela on Robben Island before being released in 1967.[3] After his release he was banished to QwaQwa in the Free State but only stayed for six months before returning to his home in Johannesburg.[4]

He was arrested again in August 1976 in connection with the Soweto uprisings after mobilising and organising students in Soweto.[2] For this offense, he was accused number one at the Bethal Trial, where he was charged with conspiracy and treason. He was arrested under the terrorism act, and his charges included inciting 16 June Soweto Uprisings. The Bethal Trial was the only secret political trial ever held in apartheid South Africa.[5] He was elected as the president of the PAC in 1986 while in prison.[2]

Mothopeng was sentenced to Robben Island again where he was to serve two 15-year terms of imprisonment. He was severely tortured in jail.[6] Mothopeng was among those who reported police torture because four other detainees had died in detention.

Mothopeng became ill with cancer of the throat while in prison. He was unconditionally released by President F. W. de Klerk in 1988. He rejected calls to join political talks that black people should have all the power.[7] Under Mothopeng, the PAC refused to join the negotiations on democracy with the African National Congress under President F. W. de Klerk as the Pan-Africanist Congress believed that only guerrilla warfare would end white minority rule.[3] After his early release in November 1988, he settled in Soweto but never recovered his health.

Personal life

On 10 September 1941, Mothopeng married Urbania Lonake. In 1942, the couple moved into a municipal four-roomed house in

Orlando West. They had four children, Locksley, Sheila, John and Lancelot.[2]

While in prison, Urbania was out of work because she suffered from severe arthritis.

Death and legacy

On 23 October 1990, Mothopeng died from chest and lung cancer and pneumonia at 78. He was known as the "Lion of Azania".[8] Mothopeng is buried with his wife in Avalon Cemetery.

In a ceremony on 22 October 2016, Mothopeng was posthumously honoured when Pela Street, close to

Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, Soweto, was renamed Zephania Mothopeng Street.[9] The renaming is in line with the City of Johannesburg's Policy on the Naming and Renaming of Streets and Other Public Places.[9] Zephania Mothopeng Street links with the Hector Pieterson
Precinct.

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-86975-280-4
    .
  2. ^ a b c d Zephania Lekoame Mothopeng. WITS Historical Papers Research Archive. Online. Accessed 8 November.
  3. ^ a b Zephania Mothopeng, 77, Dies; Headed South African Movement. 1990. Online. Retrieved 1 November 2017
  4. ^ Zeph Mothopeng, President of the PAC dies. SAHistory. Accessed 3 November.
  5. ^ Ebrahim, A. "Pan Africanist Congress" Accessed 1 November.
  6. ^ [1] [unreliable source?]
  7. ^ Zephania (Zeph) Lekoame Mothopeng, SAHistory.org, retrieved 5 August 2013
  8. ^ "Former PAC President, Zeph Mothopeng Honoured with Street Name. 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  9. ^ a b Street Re-naming to Honour Zephania Mothopeng. 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
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