Botswana accuses South Africa of kidnapping a former Soweto student leader, Peter Lengene

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Botswana accused South Africa of kidnapping a former Soweto student leader, Peter Lengene, from Gaborone and transporting him to South Africa. Later the Minister of Police confirmed Lengene’s presence in South Africa. He was kidnapped on 6 February and driven in the boot of a car to South Africa Lengene and many other students, amongst them, Tsietsi Mashinini, Khotso Seatlholo, Murphy Morobe who would be Head of Communications in the office of President Thabo Mbeki and Billy Masetlha, led the Soweto youth uprising on 16 June 1976. Many of those who led the protest were later harassed by security forces and forced into exile.

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How we know this

01South African History Online, ‘Key People in the June 16 Soweto Youth Uprising’, [online], available at www.sahistory.org.za (Accessed: 10 January 2013)
02O’Malley, P. ‘1982’, from Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialog, [online], available at www.nelsonmandela.org.za (Accessed: 08 January 2013)
03South African History Online, ‘uMkhonto we Sizwe’, [online], available www.sahistory.org.za (Accessed: 10 January 2013)

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2013, February 14). Botswana accuses South Africa of kidnapping a former Soweto student leader, Peter Lengene. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094859

South African History Online (2013) 'Botswana accuses South Africa of kidnapping a former Soweto student leader, Peter Lengene', South African History Online, 14 February. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094859 (Accessed: 25 July 2026).

South African History Online, Botswana accuses South Africa of kidnapping a former Soweto student leader, Peter Lengene [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094859, (accessed 25 July 2026).

"Botswana accuses South Africa of kidnapping a former Soweto student leader, Peter Lengene." South African History Online, 14 Feb. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094859. Accessed 25 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Botswana accuses South Africa of kidnapping a former Soweto student leader, Peter Lengene." South African History Online. February 14, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094859.