Political parties pay tribute to Mabuza

Various political parties have sent their condolences to the family of former President, David Mabuza, and paid tribute to him following his passing on Thursday afternoon.

DD, as he was affectionately known, died earlier today at the age of 64 at a Johannesburg hospital.

He served as the deputy president of the country from 2018 to 2023.

African Christian Democratic Party Deputy President, Wayne Thring, has remembered him as someone who looked beyond political affiliations.

“When I asked a particular question he was unable to answer he responded in writing. He understood the role that we as politicians, and as Members of Parliament had which is holding the executive to account,” says Thring.

Prior to his tenure as Deputy President, Mabuza served as the Premier of Mpumalanga for nine years.

BOSA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, says Mabuza was someone who was open to suggestions.

“Often times, he was open to suggestions from other people and being able to say, ‘how do we accommodate everybody?’ I found him at times a little bit aloof and distant in certain instances and I found him deep, pondering and never certain where things were, but he certainly was one who wore his ANC colours and defended his party and he served in that capacity,” says Maimane.

The BOSA leader says their engagement was not always cordial, saying they certainly had some challenging engagement at times.

Makashule Gana from Rise Mzansi says Mabuza was someone who was quiet but when he spoke he did so in a way that would draw attention.

“Personally, I never engaged with him … it was more at a distance, through observation of how he operated. He was a political operator, and I think his colleagues in the ANC knew better than I do but from a distance you could see he was a political operator, that he was someone who could read the stage.”

Mabuza resigned as Member of Parliament in 2023 following the election of Paul Mashatile as the ANC Deputy President.

Gana says Mabuza was someone who knew when to leave the stage.

“He was someone who knew it was time to leave the stage. After the 2022 congress of the ANC, in 2023 he exited the deputy presidency without any resistance and he believed that his job was done,” – sentiments which were echoed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

In a media statement, the EFF has described Mabuza as someone who was never about personal ambitions.

“Though Mabuza only served one term in office and never ascended to the Presidency, a rarity for someone who held the position of Deputy President, he never placed personal ambition above the duties of his office. When he fell out of favour with his party, he did not use his political challenges as a reason to destabilise the country, he instead bowed out of public office with grace and a clear sense of duty to the Republic,” says the EFF.

ANC’s First Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane, has described Mabuza as one of the dependable members of the ANC.

“DD never put his position of being in public office as a prerequisite of being a member of the party. He remained a cadre of the ANC, moved away from public life, but continued to work for the ANC, to serve the ANC and when duty called, for him to be one of those who had to go out and do organizational work. Comrade DD would do that with passion, with commitment as well as with the release of his time and energy when he had resolved that it was time to be with his family. And this is a good lesson that many of us are learning out of this cadre, a patriot and somebody who remained loyal to the ANC until the end,” says Mokonyane.

Cosatu’s Matthew Parks says Mabuza has played his part in the liberation of the country and will be fondly remembered by history.

“He will be remembered as a humble person who didn’t always seek the limelight for himself as many a politicians would love to do, but was happy to give support to others to lead,” he says.

Mabuza cut his political teeth in the Black Consciousness Movement, while he was still a student. A trained teacher by profession, he later became a principal.

ANC Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri pays tribute to David Mabuza:

He was also the chairperson of the South African Democratic Teachers Union.

Post-1994, he became the MEC for Education and later MEC for housing in 1999. He later became the Chair of the ANC in Mpumalanga between 2008 and 2017. In December of that year, he was elected ANC deputy president at the party’s 54th national conference.

He was replaced by Paul Mashatile in the 2022 conference. His political homes the ANC and his BCM party Azapo have expressed shock at his passing.

ATM’s Vuyolwethu Zungula pays tribute to former Deputy President David Mabuza: