Motsoko Pheko

Biography

Born to a wealthy rural family in Lesotho on 13 November 1933, Pheko and his brother went to live in South Africa in the 1930s upon the sudden death of their parents. They were raised by E. M. Moerane, their late mother's sister. Since 1960 Motsoko Pheko has been a member of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), and served in several different capacities including Organiser, Branch Chairperson, Country Representative and Member of Parliament (MP). Pheko served as a representative of the PAC to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, in addition to working in the UK, Zambia and Tanzania. Pheko was the president of the PAC in South Africa until he was fired and expelled from the party for alleged financial irregularities involving party funds in 2006. Previously he was the Deputy President in three cabinets from 1995 to 2003. This is the longest presidential term in PAC history. Sobukwe served from 1959 to 1978, Leballo from 1978 to 1986.

Pheko is the founder of Daystar University in Kenya, the largest liberal arts college in Africa. Pheko is also founder and Chair of Tokoloho Development Association in South Africa, a trust which promotes research of indigenous knowledge of the African people prior to European colonisation, and publishes the results. Tokoloho is Sotho and translates as "Freedom".

Pheko holds a B.A. from the University of South Africa (UNISA), where he majored in Political Science and Systematic Theology, also reading Sociology and History. UNISA has honoured Pheko with an archive that holds many of his own works. Pheko also holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Zambia and a Master of Law degree in International Law from the University of London.

Published works

Pheko is author of several books on topics such as history, law, political science and theology, including: