12 Facts About Popo Molefe

Popo Simon Molefe OLS was born on 26 April 1952 and is a businessman and former politician from South Africa.

One of eight children, Molefe was the son of a laborer and a domestic worker, though he was raised largely by one of his aunts, Sanah Tsatsimpe.

Popo Molefe became involved in political activism as a student, joining the Black People's Convention in 1973, and the South African Students' Movement in 1974.

Popo Molefe is a member of the Methodist Church of South Africa.

Popo Molefe was one of the founding members of the Azanian People's Organization at its formation in 1978 and became the first chairman of the Soweto branch in 1979.

Popo Molefe left the group in 1981 as a result of a dispute over the role of white Africans in the anti-apartheid movement, and the following year he became one of the Committee of Ten within the Soweto Civic Organization, serving in that capacity until 1984.

Popo Molefe was involved with the founding of the United Democratic Front in January 1983.

Popo Molefe was arrested on several occasions as a result of his political activities.

Popo Molefe's sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court of South Africa in 1989.

Popo Molefe held this position until April 2004, when he resigned from politics citing a desire to tend to his "personal health and family".

Popo Molefe was married to Boitumelo "Tumi" Plaatje, with whom he had four children.

Popo Molefe denied the accusations, and attributed them to what he termed Plaatje's "unstable history of making false allegations".