By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has accorded the former president of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) Dr Motsoko Pheko a Special Provincial Official Funeral.
Pheko died last Friday at the age of 93.
He was a member of parliament for 10 years and served on various portfolio committees including foreign affairs and Safety and security.
Speaking at the official Freedom Day celebrations at the Union Buildings on Saturday, Gauteng Premier Lesufi thanked Ramaphosa for granting the special provincial official funeral.
“An outstanding freedom fighter, academic, theologian, professor Professor Motsoko Pheko. We thank you president, for granting this solid Pan Africanist a special funeral.”
“We will remember this son of the soil as a true Pan African to the end of his life. His teachings through his writings will continue to inspire us to move forward in improving the lives of all South Africans,” said Lesufi.
Pheko’s family was yet to make known the details of his memorial and funeral services.
Following the dawn of democracy Pheko served as a Member of Parliament for ten years and served in different portfolio committees, including Foreign Affairs and Safety and Security. He also served as the PAC representative to the United Nations.
Motsoko was born in neighbouring Lesotho in 1933. Following the death of his parents, him and his brother moved to South Africa to live with a relative.
In 1960, Pheko joined the PAC, founded by Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe in 1958.
He joined political activism against the apartheid regime and was soon arrested and handed a hefty jail sentence.
Upon his release from prison, the anti-apartheid stalwart went into exile, where he stayed for 30 years. He worked in New York, USA, the United Kingdom, Zambia and Tanzania, according to online history site SA History Online.
Following the dawn of democracy in 1994 and his return back home, Pheko, as PAC president, was elected to serve in Parliament in 2003.
The 93-year-old butted heads with the PAC and was subsequently expelled over missing party funds in 2007.
Although he successfully challenged his expulsion in the high court, the PAC expelled him again in 2008.
His seat in Parliament was taken by Letlapa Mphahlele, who replaced him as party president at the PAC elective conference in Qwa Qwa, Free State in 2006.
He served as a PAC MP for 10 years, working in various portfolio committees including the safety and security and foreign affairs committee.