Kenneth Mopeli
Tsiame Kenneth Mopeli (b.
20 September 1930) was the former
Chief Minister of the
South African
bantustan of
QwaQwa.
Born in
Namahadi, Mopeli gained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) at the
University of South Africa in
1954 and worked as a teacher and radio announcer for the
South African Broadcasting Corporation before being nominated for membership of the QwaQwa Territorial Authority.
Mopeli founded and led the
Dikwankwetla Party to victory at the May 19
1975 QwaQwa elections and subsequently become Chief Minister of QwaQwa. He spent much of his time as Chief Minister confronting the South African government over various issues, most significantly over demands for more territory to be annexed to QwaQwa, and could boast of South Africa acquiescing to his demands, with some adjoining land (albeit small) added to the bantustan.
Described as "rotund, avuncular and unbending" by one observer, Mopeli ruled QwaQwa until
26 April 1994 when the bantustan was reintegrated into South Africa.
*
Family Histories and ‘Household' Livelihoods: Qwaqwa, 1970s to 1990s, C. Murray [
1]
