Lucas Mangope

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Kgosi Lucas Manyane Mangope is the former leader of the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana.

Born in Motswedi on December 27 1923, Mangope worked as a high school teacher until 8 August 1959, when he succeeded his father Lucas as Chief of the Motsweda Ba hurutshe-Boo-Manyane tribe. On May 1 1971, Mangope became Chief Minister of the Bophuthatswana Legislative Assembly and retained his post following the first Bophuthatswana elections on 4 October 1972. Initially leader of the Bophuthatswana National Party, Mangope left the party following what was officially referred to as `internal strife' and formed the Bophuthatswana Democratic Party, which then became the governing party.

He became President in 1977, a position he held until Bophuthatswana's reintegration into South Africa in 1994, although he needed to be reinstated by the South African government in 1988 following a failed coup.

Mangope was found guilty of fraud in 1998 and is now leader of the South African United Christian Democratic Party.

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