By Tshepo J Molobi
The Nchabeleng family, in partnership with Brandhill Africa™, is proud to announce the official home-village launch of the book The Lion of the North: Peter Nchabeleng, His Family and the National Liberation Struggle in South Africa by Advocate Mpho Nchabeleng. This landmark celebration will take place on Saturday, 29 November 2025, at the Moses Mabotha Municipal Hall in Apel, Ga-Sekhukhune.
The Lion of the North: Peter Nchabeleng, His Family and the National Liberation Struggle in South Africa is far more than a biographical tribute – it is a deeply researched, emotionally textured chronicle of a life lived in unwavering service to justice. Written with both the intimacy of a son and the rigour of a historian, Adv. Mpho Nchabeleng weaves together personal memory, family testimony, archival material, and community narratives to illuminate the towering legacy of his father, Peter “Madiba” Nchabeleng. The book captures the brutality he endured, the courage he embodied, the organisation he built, and the moral clarity that defined his leadership in Sekhukhune and beyond. But it also shines a necessary light on the quiet heroism of the Nchabeleng family – the resilience of a household that withstood constant harassment, surveillance, and sacrifice in the shadows of apartheid’s cruelty. In this way, the book stands not only as a tribute to a single life, but as a testament to the countless unsung families and communities whose sacrifices formed the backbone of South Africa’s liberation.
This occasion marks the spiritual and historical apex of the book’s national rollout – returning the story of Peter Nchabeleng to its roots, to the community that birthed him, nurtured him, and continues to carry his legacy across generations.
Far more than a book launch, this event is a moment of homecoming, a communal remembrance, and a reaffirmation of Sekhukhune’s enduring contribution to South Africa’s liberation history.
A Fittingly Distinguished Programme – directed by Laduma Thembe – to Honour a Giant:
The line-up of leaders who will grace this historic day reflects the deep respect and national recognition commanded by Peter Nchabeleng:
• Keynote Address
HE Ms Baleka Mbete, Former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, veteran of the struggle, intellectual, and stateswoman.
• Opening Remarks
Dr Phophi Ramathuba, Premier of Limpopo – a province that continues to produce some of the country’s most formidable leaders.
• Welcome Remarks
Kgosi Moloke Nchabeleng, representing the custodians of the Nchabeleng lineage and the traditional leadership of the area.
• Acknowledgement of Guests
Her Worship Cllr. Minah Bahula, Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality, a region that remains synonymous with courage, defiance and community solidarity.
• Family representative
Lassy Chiwayo, a former South Africa’s Consul-General to Shanghai, China, will speak on behalf of the Nchabeleng family.
• In-Conversation Segment
A reflective and engaging dialogue between:
o Adv. Mpho Nchabeleng, author and son of the liberation icon
o Mr Saul Molobi, publisher and CEO of Brandhill Africa™.
This programme underscores the significance of Peter Nchabeleng not only to his family and village, but to Sekhukhune, Limpopo, and the nation.
Why This Launch Matters: A Homecoming of Memory, Dignity and Pride
While The Lion of the North has already enjoyed three successful preliminary launches, the upcoming event in Apel is the most treasured and meaningful for the Nchabeleng family and the people of Sekhukhune.
Preliminary launches held earlier this year included:
1. Polokwane – hosted by Limpopo MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Hon. Funani Jerry Maseko.
2. Mamelodi – co-hosted with the ANC’s Peter Nchabeleng Branch, addressed by Dr Dickson Masemola, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
3. Pretoria East – sponsored by VW and addressed by Mr Tokyo Sexwale, former Premier of Gauteng and an underground operative under Peter Nchabeleng.
Each event carried its own honour and historical richness, but none compare to the emotional significance of bringing the story home – to the soil upon which Peter Nchabeleng walked, led, organised, and ultimately sacrificed for freedom.
A Double Celebration for the Author and the Community
The launch is not only a tribute to Peter Nchabeleng but also a moment of celebration for his son, Adv. Mpho Nchabeleng, who has recently been admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa.
This achievement amplifies the significance of the day in profound and moving ways. It is, first, a son honouring his father’s towering legacy – a legacy etched in courage, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion to the liberation of his people. It is also a family celebrating a lineage of resilience that has endured the full weight of apartheid brutality, exile, harassment, and the quiet but relentless labour of rebuilding dignity generation after generation. And beyond the family, it is an entire community witnessing the blossoming of seeds planted in the darkest hours of struggle: the fruits of discipline, unity, and the uncompromising pursuit of excellence. In Adv. Mpho Nchabeleng’s accomplishment, Apel, Ga-Sekhukhune sees both its past reflected and its future affirmed.
The Nchabeleng family regards this as a sacred convergence of heritage, scholarship, and generational continuity.
The Lion of the North goes beyond personal biography. It situates Peter Nchabeleng within the broader tapestry of the national liberation struggle. The book:
· documents his torture, imprisonment, organisation, leadership, and ideas;
· highlights the untold sacrifices of his wife, children, and extended family;
· reveals the community’s role in protecting and sustaining the struggle underground;
· offers younger readers an intimate portrait of what courage and principle truly mean.
Through meticulous research and personal testimony, the author revives a story of leadership rooted in humility, discipline, and unwavering commitment to justice.
A Contribution to South Africa’s Liberation Archive
This publication forms part of Brandhill Africa’s heritage series, “Our Voices. Our Spaces.”
The project is dedicated to reclaiming and preserving the stories of struggle icons whose contributions risk fading from the mainstream national narrative. It creates a platform where families, communities, and veterans tell their own stories in their own voices – ensuring authenticity, emotional truth, and historical accuracy.
Peter Nchabeleng’s story stands as one of the most powerful examples of grassroots leadership and disciplined revolutionary praxis. Its return to Sekhukhune is a moment of great historical and cultural importance.
An Open Invitation to the Community and the Nation
The Nchabeleng family, Brandhill Africa™, traditional authorities, and local government stakeholders warmly extend an open invitation to all corners of the community and the nation. They call upon the men and women who once stood on the frontlines of the liberation struggle, the families of heroes and martyrs who bore its heaviest sacrifices, and the residents of Apel and the broader Sekhukhune region whose stories are interwoven with that of Peter Nchabeleng. Scholars and historians who continue to safeguard our collective memory, as well as the youth and learners who represent the torchbearers of tomorrow, are equally encouraged to attend. Civic and political organisations that continue to shape public life, together with media practitioners who carry our stories to the world, are invited to gather in unity. This is a moment not only of celebration but of reflection and renewal – a communal homecoming that honours a towering legacy while inspiring a new generation to understand, embrace, and advance the values for which Peter Nchabeleng lived and died.
The launch is expected to draw hundreds of attendees and will include cultural performances, reflections from veterans, community tributes, and a book-signing session.
Media Enquiries
Please contact
Mr Tshepo J. Molobi
Executive: Business Development
Brandhill Africa
1st Floor, Cradock Square Offices
169 Oxford Road
Rosebank; JOHANNESBURG
2196.
Mobile: 082 740 5298
eMail: tj.molobi@brandhillafrica.com
ABOUT BRANDHILL AFRICA
Brandhill Africa™, established in 2016, has rapidly emerged as one of the continent’s leading pan-African nation branding and public diplomacy agencies. Over the years, the company has earned an impressive collection of international accolades, including the UK-based MEA Markets’ African Excellence Awards (“Leadership Branding Champions of the Year 2025” and “Excellence Award in Executive Profiling 2025”), the Business Excellence Award 2022 from the World Confederation of Businesses, and the Brand Leadership Award 2021 from the World Brand Congress. The agency has recently been nominated as a finalist for the prestigious “Excellence in Strategic Brand Development Award 2025” by the Global Brand Awards (UK), further cementing its reputation for thought leadership and innovation in strategic branding on the African continent.
Brandhill Africa™ was founded by Saul Molobi, a globally respected pan-African branding specialist whose career bridges the worlds of diplomacy, cultural industries, media, and international marketing. A former Consul-General of South Africa in Milan, Molobi has earned distinction as a global speaker, author, broadcaster, commentator, and consultant, with a long-standing intellectual and professional commitment to the nexus between Brand Africa, diplomacy, leadership, and the creative economy. His expertise centres on how nation brands shape investor sentiment, consumer behaviour, global reputation, and market access opportunities.
Since 2022, Molobi has held the esteemed title of Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) in recognition of his professional excellence and contribution to global marketing practice. His achievements have also been acknowledged through notable honours such as the Mission Africa Award 2024, and he has been repeatedly recognised by the World CEO Rankings Board – ranked 16th out of 620 in 2022 and previously nominated in 2021 and 2022 for the prestigious World CEO of the Year award.
With its award-winning track record and pan-African vision, Brandhill Africa™ continues to pioneer a new paradigm in nation branding, executive profiling, and cultural diplomacy – advancing narratives that elevate African identities, economies and global competitiveness.
To date, Brandhill Africa™ has curated an impressive and steadily expanding catalogue of publications that speak to the continent’s cultural memory, intellectual heritage, and the evolving narrative of Brand Africa. The company’s publishing journey began with Sound and Fury: The Chronicles of Healing by Saul Molobi — a reflective, deeply personal work introduced by a powerful Foreword from H.E. Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, former President of the Republic of South Africa. Molobi’s second book, De/constructing Brand Africa: A Practitioner’s Perspective, was elevated by a Foreword from H.E. Mr Wamkele Mene, the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), underscoring its continental significance.
These foundational works were followed by Sello Lediga’s Dodging the Civil War Bullet: Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s Transition from Apartheid to Democracy, a timely historical reflection whose Foreword was again contributed by President Motlanthe. This book carved its own place in history – not only because its Foreword was penned by a former President of the Republic, but also because its launch was graced by a keynote address from former Deputy President Ms Baleka Mbete.
Brandhill Africa™ subsequently broadened its creative range with Rhythms in Black and White: A Virtual Journey Through the World of Jazz, co-authored by jazz photographer Siphiwe Mhlambi and poet Saul Molobi, blending evocative imagery with “jazzopoetry” in a celebration of the continent’s musical soul.
The company then published Chocolate Kisses: Sweet Verses in the Dance of Romance, a poetry collection authored by Molobi, before returning to liberation historiography with The Lion of the North: Peter Nchabeleng, His Family and the Struggle for National Liberation in South Africa by Adv. Mpho Nchabeleng, which features a Foreword by Mr Tokyo Sexwale — accomplished businessman, former Premier of Gauteng, and fellow Robben Islander.
Soon to be added to this distinguished list is Molobi’s forthcoming book, De/constructing Brand Authenticity: Crafting an Honest Narrative for Brand Africa’s Global Ascent, enriched by a Foreword from Cuthbert Ncube, Executive Chairman of the African Tourism Board. Looking ahead, Brandhill Africa™ will launch two major titles before March 2026: the biography of Professor Ephraim E.T. Mokgokong authored by Dr Solly Motlanthe, and Leslie Dikeni’s scholarly work, Music, Agency and Power.
Together, these titles reflect Brandhill Africa’s commitment to amplifying African stories, intellectual contributions, and cultural legacies — ensuring that the continent speaks for itself, in its own voice and on its own terms.