Lucas Mangope

Kgosi Lucas Manyane Mangope (27 December 1923 – 18 January 2018) was a South African politician. He is the former leader of the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana and founder and former leader of the United Christian Democratic Party, a minor political party based in the North West of South Africa.

On 1 May 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. 

In 1988 he was briefly overthrown by members of a military police unit, and was reinstated following intervention by the South African Defence Force.

References

Category:1923 births
Category:2018 deaths
Category:Presidents (government)
Category:South African politicians