Mosibudi Mangena

Mosibudi Mangena was born on 7 August 1947 in Tzaneen, in the now Limpopo Province. He is married to Thabile and they have two children.

He completed his primary school education at the Lethabong Primary School in Wallmansthal, near Pretoria, and proceeded to Wallmansthal Secondary School from 1965 to 1967 where he obtained his Junior Certificate with distinction. He matriculated at Hebron Training Institute in 1969. In 1970, he enrolled at the University of Zululand (Ngoye) for a BSc degree. Whilst at Ngoye, he was elected to the SRC, and became active in the programmes of the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO). He discontinued his studies and moved back to Pretoria where he became active in the local branch of SASO, PRESO.

In December 1972, he was elected be the first National Organiser of the Black People’s Convention at its inaugural Congress. In 1973, he was detained under the notorious Section 6 of the Terrorism Act in Port Elizabeth. He was later charged, convicted and sent to Robben Island for five years. He was the first Black Consciousness activist to land on Robben Island. While on Robben Island and under banning orders, he completed a BSc and BSc Hons degrees with the University of South Africa(UNISA). He now holds a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from UNISA.

On his release in 1978, he was banned and restricted to Mahwelereng Township in the then Lebowa Homeland (now part of the Limpopo Province) for five years. In 1981 he went into exile, and joined the Black Consciousness Movement of Azania (BCMA). He was first elected Chairperson of the Botswana Chapter of the movement, and in 1982, Chairperson of the Central Committee of the entire organization. In 1983, he moved his operational base to Zimbabwe, where he resided until he returned to South Africa in July 1994. On his return from exile in 1994, he was elected President of AZAPO at the merger Congress of the BCMA and AZAPO.