President Kgalema Motlanthe paid tribute to the late Dr Nthato Motlanta, on Saturday, calling him a "selfless leader of our people".

"The history of our struggle for freedom could never be complete without including the seminal contributions of this towering and selfless leader of our people," said Motlanthe at the Motlanta's funeral at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

"The wretched material conditions into which he was born could have easily truncated his potential, broken his spirit and plunged the rest of his life into a pit of worthlessness," said Mothlante.

"We admire his ability to break free of the clutches of poverty and his determination to overcome the wrenching pain of injustice to re-define the course of his life. His readiness to serve his community was to him a source of strength," he said.

Motlanthe said Motlana had attempted in many endeavors and failed in some but "he was never discouraged by failure instead he turned such disappointments into invaluable lessons in his future endeavours."

He also said that Motlana was a trailblazer for many in the private sector.

"Today countless black and white entrepreneurs and business people count him as their inspiring role model and mentor," said Motlanthe.

ANC president Jacob Zuma also paid his respects to Motlanta at the funeral.

"We are bidding farewell to an outstanding patriot and ANC stalwart, an exemplary community leader and a man who sacrificed a lot for the people of Soweto and our country in general," said Zuma.

"The passing on of Dr Motlana indicates that we are beginning to lose our elders as the ANC and as the country.

"When one talks of a father of the nation, this label fits Dr Motlana wholeheartedly."

Motlana died at the age of 83 at a Johannesburg hospital last Sunday following a long battle with prostate cancer.

He will be laid to rest at West Park cemetary on Saturday.