Popo Molefe

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.^[1]: 192 He attended Naledi High School in Soweto.^[2]: 192 He became involved in political activism as a student, joining the Black People's Convention in 1973, and the South African Students' Movement in 1974.^[1]: 192 While a member of the latter organization, he participated in the Soweto Uprising of 1976.^[1]: 192

Molefe is a member of the Methodist Church of South Africa.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1]: 193 He 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,^[1]: 193 serving in that capacity until 1984. He also was involved with the founding of the United Democratic Front in January 1983.^[1]: 193 In August 1983, he became the UDF's National General-Secretary.^[1]: 194

Molefe was arrested on several occasions as a result of his political activities. A 1985 arrest resulted in three years of detention without bail, followed by court proceedings in the Delmas Treason Trial.^[3] At the end of that trial, Molefe was one of eleven men convicted of anti-apartheid activities, and he drew a prison sentence of ten years from Judge van Dijkhorst, the second-longest sentence among the men convicted.^[3] His sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court of South Africa in 1989.

Following his release from prison, Molefe became a member of the newly-legalized African National Congress. After advancing through various party offices, he became Premier of the North West Province in 1994. He held this position until April 2004, when he resigned from politics citing a desire to tend to his "personal health and family".^[4]