Mpumalanga pays tribute to DD Mabuza

The people of Mpumalanga are mourning the passing of the former deputy president, Dabede David Mabuza. Mabuza – or “the Cat”, as he was affectionately known – died in hospital on July 3 at the age of 64, following a short illness.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a category 2 state funeral for the late former deputy president. According to the State and Provincial Official Funeral Policy Manual of The Presidency, a category 2 state funeral is reserved for a deputy president of the republic, an acting president, and a former deputy president.

“While preparations unfold, President Ramaphosa has declared that a period of national mourning be observed from Monday, July 7 until the evening of Saturday, July 12,” a statement from The Presidency read.

“During this period, the national flag must be flown at half-mast at all flag stations around the country.”

The Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, described Mabuza as a towering figure who devoted his time to serving the people of South Africa. “It is with profound sadness and a deep sense of national loss that we mourn the passing of the former deputy president,” said Ndlovu.

He highlighted Mabuza’s passion for education, noting the legacy he left through the replacement of farm schools with state-of-the-art boarding schools. “DD attributed his visionary leadership, characterised by massive infrastructure development and investment in human capital, to the masses,” he added.

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Ndlovu said Mabuza was driven by a passion for service, until his last breath. Both men had started their careers as teachers and later worked together as provincial ANC chairperson and secretary, respectively.

“We shared ideas and learned a lot from each other. As a former educator myself, he shaped my perspective on how commitment can propel you from the classroom to responsibilities of a much larger scale,” Ndlovu explained.

The Speaker of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, Linda Masina, extended her condolences to Mabuza’s family. Mabuza was affectionately nicknamed the Cat after a public address in the legislature in which he said, “Ngizwile ukuthi amagundane bekazenzela ngo-cheese (the rats were doing as they pleased with cheese while the cat was away; now the cat is back).”

Sizwe Sama Yende, editor of The People’s Eye, described Mabuza’s death as unexpected. “I saw photos of him on social media about two months ago at his father’s funeral. He looked healthy. Mabuza was a colossus in the politics of Mpumalanga. His passing has touched many people – including myself.
“We had a typical journo-politician relationship while he was premier. Such relationships tend to be tense because journalists sometimes see things differently from politicians.”

Sama Yende noted that although Mabuza left Mpumalanga under a cloud of allegations, he was never formally charged. Phumla Nkomo, better known as Phumla Music, said Mabuza played a significant role in her academic journey.

“From undergrad to postgrad, he took care of my fees from his own pocket,” she said.

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“In 2014, during the June holidays, I went to his house. On the fourth day, he drove out around 05:00 and saw us waiting outside. He said he knew my father and promised to see me the next day.”

Nkomo explained that her father had suffered a stroke and her mother had been struggling to support the family. Mabuza settled her debts, enabling her to access her results. “He made sure I lived in a fully furnished flat, had food, money, a phone, a laptop – everything I needed. He only wanted distinctions in return, and I gave him over 38,” she said.

The Mabuza family spokesperson, Desmond Moela, said funeral arrangements were still under discussion. He added that the South African government would communicate details on how proceedings would be handled.