David Mabuza, the former deputy president of South Africa, has passed away. His passing on Thursday at a Johannesburg hospital was confirmed by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.
Mabuza was a towering figure in the country’s political landscape, whose power, mystery, and myth earned him the enduring nickname The Cat.
“It is with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that we learn of the passing of former deputy president of the republic and stalwart of our movement, comrade David Dabede Mabuza,” Mbalula said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
“Comrade Mabuza dedicated his life to the service of the people of South Africa. We have lost a patriot, a freedom fighter, and a leader who served with humility and conviction.”
Mabuza (64) leaves behind a complex legacy — one marked by strategic brilliance, whispered allegations, provincial dominance, and a fierce loyalty to the ANC’s internal machinations.
His influence was perhaps most keenly felt in Mpumalanga, where he served as premier from 2009 to 2018, earning him a reputation for both centralised power and rapid development.
Mabuza was born at Phola Trust in Mpumalanga on August 25, 1960.
After earning a national teacher’s certificate from Mgwenya College of Education in 1985, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Africa in 1989.
Mabuza’s story never without controversy
He was originally sworn in as South Africa’s deputy president on February 27, 2018, and then again on May 30, 2019, for the country’s sixth democratic administration after President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him to the position.
The former maths teacher-turned-revolutionary gained political experience in the 1980s as a teacher unionist and student leader, first with the Azanian Students Organisation and then with the South African Democratic Teachers Union.
After apartheid ended, he moved into official ANC structures and soon rose to prominence in provincial politics in Mpumalanga.
He held multiple MEC positions in the province — education, housing, and agriculture — before clinching the powerful title of premier.
During his tenure, he launched infrastructure projects that redefined the provincial capital and engineered the amalgamation of Mjindini and White River with Mbombela to form the City of Mbombela municipality.
But Mabuza’s story was never without controversy.
He survived a suspected poisoning in 2015, after which he was flown to Russia by Duduzane Zuma, the son of then-president Jacob Zuma.
His dramatic return was cemented by his declaration to supporters: “The Cat is back,” a phrase that would become his moniker.
Behind-the-scenes power broker
In 2017, Mabuza became the kingmaker who shifted the tides of national leadership.
Despite being expected to back Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, he turned on Zuma’s faction and supported Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC elective conference.
That last-minute defection handed Ramaphosa the presidency—and earned Mabuza the second-highest office in the land.
As deputy president of both the ANC and South Africa from 2018 to 2023, Mabuza remained a behind-the-scenes power broker.
He chaired the South African National AIDS Council, oversaw land reform efforts, and led rural economic upliftment initiatives.
Yet, he often shied away from public grandstanding, earning him a reputation as a silent strategist rather than a populist politician.
A study in contrasts
His political prominence started to diminish prior to the ANC’s 55th National Conference in 2022.
With waning support and internal battles deepening, he declined to stand for re-election and voluntarily stepped down from government early in 2023 to allow Paul Mashatile to take over.
Mabuza’s life was a study in contrasts: feared yet respected, invisible yet omnipresent, betrayed yet forgiving, vanishing and reappearing like a mystic chess master with nine lives.
His leadership inspired loyalty and caution in equal measure.
With his passing, the ANC and South Africa have lost one of the most enigmatic tacticians in post-apartheid history.
While his political manoeuvres may remain debated, few can deny the imprint he leaves behind — in the Lowveld’s tarmac, in the ANC’s history books, and in the psyche of a country that never quite figured him out.
Funeral details are expected to be announced in due course.
