South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the late former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was the bravest leader in Africa in the call for the emancipation of black people.

Ramaphosa made the remarks when he addressed a memorial lecture to honour Mugabe in Kwazulu Natal on Friday.

Mugabe died in Singapore on 6 September at the age of 95.

“President Robert Mugabe was a product of his time, there will be no other President Robert Grabriel Mugabe. He was of a special type and he was the only Robert Gabriel Mugabe on the whole continent who was brave, who was articulate, who was forthright in everything that he said but who was an outstanding revolutionary and we dip our heads to him for that,” said Ramaphosa.

“Our task is to take the best lessons from the life of President Robert Mugabe and continue the struggle to create a better Africa and better world. We pay tribute to him as a great liberator who sought to unite his people and lead them in the fight for the return of the wealth of their land.

“We will always remember him as a forthright leader who made no apologies in warning his people against colonial an imperial powers bent on undermining the rights of Africans to self determination.”

Ramaphosa said Mugabe’s great desire was to see that his people were empowered.

He said Mugabe would be remembered as the most gallant liberation fighter.