24 Facts About Lucas Mangope

Lucas Mangope was the founder and leader of the United Christian Democratic Party, a political party based in the North West of South Africa.

Lucas Mangope matriculated from St Peter's College, Rosetenville in Johannesburg in 1946.

Lucas Mangope studied towards a Higher Primary Teacher's Diploma at Bethel College in the Transvaal from 1951.

Lucas Mangope taught at secondary schools in Mahikeng, Motswedi, Krugersdorp and Potchefstroom and was awarded in 1959 when one of his classes obtained the best results in Afrikaans among competing schools in South Africa.

Lucas Mangope was promoted to the Chief Chancellor of the organisation in 1968.

Lucas Mangope remained in the position until 1972 when he became the first Chief Minister of Bophuthatswana.

Lucas Mangope was accused of spying for foreign powers, misappropriation of state funds, repossession of land from tribal authorities without adequate compensation and discrepancies in appointments and salaries within the Bophuthatswana Defence Force.

Lucas Mangope became President in 1977, when Bophuthatswana was declared independent by the South African government.

Lucas Mangope was reinstated following intervention by the South African Defence Force.

Sasha Polakow-Suransky wrote that Lucas Mangope was "widely considered a puppet and a joke in South Africa" during his presidency.

Lucas Mangope was nevertheless given some recognition during visits to Israel, meeting with prominent figures such as Moshe Dayan.

Lucas Mangope was accused of using his defence force and police to suppress protests, and had been accused of police brutality when a student protest was suppressed by his police force.

Lucas Mangope's supporters have argued that Bophuthatswana was comparatively more successful than other Bantustans in social and economic development, owing to its mineral wealth.

At the Kempton Park negotiations in 1993 that led to the first non-racial election in South Africa in 1994, Lucas Mangope had made it clear that Bophuthatswana would remain independent of the new and integrated South Africa and that he would not allow the upcoming election to take place in "his country".

Lucas Mangope called on outside help, but was eventually forced to flee the homeland, and shortly thereafter, the homelands were reincorporated into South Africa.

Lucas Mangope's party argued that under the Xhosa-led ANC, their quality of life in the province would deteriorate and that conditions were improved because Tswana people ruled themselves.

Lucas Mangope led the party for fifteen years, but was expelled from the party in 2012.

Lucas Mangope had been accused of being autocratic, but failed to attend his disciplinary hearing, and had his membership terminated.

Lucas Mangope lamented the fact that capitalism had failed to make itself more appealing in Africa and failed to defend itself against the attacks of Marxism.

Lucas Mangope died at his home in Motswedi, Lehurutshe on 18 January 2018, aged 94.

In 2020, it was reported that the infrastructure that the Lucas Mangope administration built worth over R1 billion was abandoned by the current administration.

Lucas Mangope was initially married to a woman named Leah, and they had seven children.

Lucas Mangope justified it with the argument that donkeys were dangerous and had become a hazard on the roads.

Lucas Mangope remarried in May 2007 to Violet Mongale, a senior nurse.