The Presidential Years

Political activist and politician. After working for a short time as a teacher, Peter Mokaba was arrested in 1982 and convicted of possessing weapons and undergoing military training as a member of MK in Mozambique and Angola. He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment but was released after a year, following a successful appeal. Founding member of the South African Youth Congress, and later the organisation’s first president in 1987, Mokaba was hero-worshipped by a large section of South Africa’s youth. President of the ANCYL, 1991–94. Deputy minister of environmental affairs and tourism in Mandela’s cabinet.