Former president Thabo Mbeki says South Africa has lost a true patriot and devoted pan-Africanist after the death of Motsoko Pheko.

Mbeki said Pheko, who was a leader of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) years ago, was involved in the struggle for the liberation of South Africa.

Pheko was born in 1930 in Lesotho and was a member of the PAC from 1960, served the organisation in the United Nations in the UK and Geneva, and represented the party in Parliament soon after democracy in 1994.

He said Pheko was committed to pan-Africanism and this inspired generations of leaders.

He said the former PAC leader, who also served as a parliamentarian for his party many years ago, was full of knowledge and this was shown in the many books that he wrote.

The continent has lost a revolutionary and a leader with the death of Pheko.

“His life embodied the centuries-long pursuit of liberation and self-determination that defines the spirit of the African people. His unwavering commitment to Pan-Africanism inspired generations of leaders and activists.

“Pheko’s wealth of knowledge, reflected in his numerous authored works, offered critical insights on history, theology, and the enduring struggle for true African liberation. He championed the recognition of indigenous knowledge systems,” said the Thabo Mbeki Foundation.

The foundation said Pheko was an intellectual giant and a freedom fighter who contributed to the liberation of South Africa.

siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za

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