A Chief from the Bahurutshi clan (Zeerust) was a leader of the apartheid era regime homeland from 1977 to 1944.
He led the United Christian Democratic Party but in 2014 lost all the seats in national and provincial legislatures.
A teacher by profession, Mangope was heavily criticized for being a puppet of the apartheid regime and during the pre-democracy talks he insisted Bophuthatswana should remain an independent State.
However‚ he was overthrown by the military shortly before the first democratic elections.
He’s also known for always taking a stock at Nelson Mandela in declaring “le voutela mapantiti” –you casting your votes for prisoners, amongst other derogatory terms he used.
“Mmuso was ANC o tlile go le sotla banake” (the ANC Government is going to make you suffer my children) he was quoted in the then Mafikeng in 1993.
Although its unconfirmed Kgosi Mangope was offered a Safety and Security post during Mandela’s era, but he turned it down.
Some believe his experience would have been useful and benefited Government.
The ruling party also extended messages of condolences to the family and friends of Rre Mangope.
“Mr Mangope was among the African personalities that emerged in the 1970s as leaders of the Bantustan territories created by the apartheid regime as part of its strategy to consolidate, in the name of self-governance, tribal homelands that sustained the apartheid social engineering of ethnic division.
Although Mr. Mangope was an outspoken opponent of the democratisation project in South Africa as led by the ANC, the ANC continued to maintain a tone of respect and willingness to engage in search of a common objective of national liberation and democracy in South Africa.”
He was 94 years old.
Details for memorial and funeral services will be released at later stage.
Robalang ka ntho madi a tshologe boo-Mangope!
