Salzwedel Ernest "Motsoko" Pheko (born 13 November 1933) is a South African lawyer, author, historian, theologian, academic, and politician.

Biography

Born to a wealthy rural family in

Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...

on 13 November 1933, Pheko and his brother went to live in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

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 The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (known as the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC)) is a South African national liberation Pan-Africanist movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert Sobukwe, that ...

(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 The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

in New York and Geneva, in addition to working in the UK, Zambia. Pheko was the president of the PAC in South Africa until 2008.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 Daystar is a Christian liberal arts university in Nairobi. Daystar's original campus is close to Nairobi city centre, but there was no room to expand at that location. Therefore, in 1992 a new campus was built at Athi River, some 40 km to ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, 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 Sotho may refer to: *Sotho people (or ''Basotho''), an African ethnic group principally resident in South Africa, Lesotho and southern Botswana * Sotho language (''Sesotho'' or ''Southern Sotho''), a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa, an off ...

and translates as "Freedom". Pheko holds a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

from the

University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...

(UNISA), where he majored in

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

and Systematic

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, also reading

Sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

and History. UNISA has honoured Pheko with an archive that holds many of his own works. Pheko also holds a

Bachelor of Law Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree from the

University of Zambia The University of Zambia (UNZA) is a public university located in Lusaka, Zambia. It is Zambia's largest and oldest learning institution. The university was established in 1965 and officially opened to the public on 12 July 1966. The language of ...

and a Master of Law degree in

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

Published works

Pheko is an author of several books on topics such as history, law, political science and theology, including: * ''African Renaissance Saved Christianity'' * ''Apartheid: The Story of the Dispossessed people'' * ''Betrayal of a Colonised People'' * ''The Rise of Azania, the Fall of South Africa'' * ''The Early Church in Africa'' * ''Hidden Side of South African Politics'' * ''The History of Robben Island Must Be Preserved'' * ''The Land Is Ours: The Political Legacy of Mangaliso Sobukwe'' * ''Who Are The Africans? – Indigenous Names and Identity'' * ''The True History of Sharpeville Must Be Told''

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pheko, Motsoko Alumni of the University of London Living people 1933 births University of Zambia alumni South African people imprisoned abroad Prisoners and detainees of South Africa Prisoners and detainees of Rhodesia Prisoners and detainees of Mozambique Pan Africanist Congress of Azania politicians Members of the National Assembly of South Africa Lesotho emigrants to South Africa