{"id":13718,"date":"2025-07-04T09:15:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T07:15:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=13718"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:20:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:20:48","slug":"former-deputy-president-david-mabuza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/former-deputy-president-david-mabuza\/","title":{"rendered":"SA Mourns the Death of Former Deputy President David Mabuza"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>South Africa is in mourning following the passing of David Mabuza, the former Deputy President of the country. He passed away on <strong>3 July 2025<\/strong> at the age of <strong>64<\/strong> in a hospital in Sandton after a prolonged illness. His death marks the end of a significant political journey that contributed meaningfully to South Africa\u2019s democratic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ALSO READ:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/healthcare-access-for-undocumented-migrants\/\">Healthcare Access for Undocumented Migrants in South Africa: What You Need to Know<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-early-life-and-education\">Early Life and Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>David Dabede Mabuza was born on <strong>25 August 1960<\/strong> in Phola Trust, Mpumalanga. He trained as a mathematics teacher and served as a school principal before entering politics. He earned a <strong>Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology<\/strong> from the <strong>University of South Africa (UNISA)<\/strong> in 1989, following a national teacher\u2019s certificate completed in 1985.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-2878421437\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-political-career\">Political Career<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mabuza began his political career in the early 1990s. He served as the <strong>Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education in Mpumalanga<\/strong> from 1994 to 1998. Over the years, he held various leadership roles within the African National Congress (ANC) at both regional and provincial levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was appointed <strong>Premier of Mpumalanga<\/strong> in 2009, a position he held until 2018. During this time, he became a key political figure, noted for strengthening ANC structures within the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-role-as-deputy-president\">Role as Deputy President<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>February 2018<\/strong>, Mabuza was appointed <strong>Deputy President of South Africa<\/strong>, serving under President Cyril Ramaphosa. His tenure coincided with a pivotal period in the country\u2019s leadership transition. Mabuza played a strategic role in the ANC\u2019s 2017 elective conference, where his support was crucial in Ramaphosa\u2019s election as ANC president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Deputy President, Mabuza played a key role in strengthening cooperation between the executive and the legislature, earning widespread recognition. <strong>National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza<\/strong> praised his regular and respectful engagement with Parliament, highlighting his commitment to governance and accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mabuza resigned from his position in <strong>February 2023<\/strong>, bringing his time in national office to a close. Despite stepping away from the spotlight, he continued to support the ANC during the 2024 general elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3319582889\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-years-and-legacy\">Final Years and Legacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the years leading to his death, Mabuza had withdrawn from public life due to ongoing health concerns. Though the nature of his illness was not publicly disclosed, his declining health was known to many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaders from across the political spectrum have paid tribute following his passing. <strong>President Cyril Ramaphosa\u2019s office<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepresidency.gov.za\/statement-president-cyril-ramaphosa-passing-former-deputy-president-david-mabuza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">issued a statement<\/a> honoring Mabuza\u2019s role in the liberation struggle and his dedication to building an inclusive, democratic South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula<\/strong> described him as a dedicated and disciplined leader who upheld the values of unity and transformation. Members of Parliament remembered him as a strategic thinker and a bridge-builder in government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>INTERESTING READ:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/gauteng.news\/2025\/06\/26\/joburg-mayor-survives-no-confidence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joburg Mayor and Chief Whip Survive Unsuccessful No Confidence Motions: What\u2019s Next?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-life-remembered\">A Life Remembered<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>David Mabuza\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/south-africas-former-deputy-president-mabuza-dies-sabc-reports-2025-07-03\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">journey<\/a>, from educator to one of South Africa\u2019s most senior public officials, stands as a testament to his commitment to public service and national development. His contributions to education, provincial governance, and national leadership <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.za\/news\/media-statements\/president-cyril-ramaphosa-passing-former-deputy-president-david-mabuza-03-jul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">remain a significant part<\/a> of South Africa\u2019s democratic history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/news\/the-cat-is-no-more-tributes-pour-in-for-former-deputy-president-david-mabuza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the nation bids farewell<\/a>, people remember Mabuza not only for the offices he held but also for the quiet resolve with which he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.enca.com\/news-top-stories\/rip-david-mabuza-parliament-reflects-mabuzas-role\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fulfilled his responsibilities<\/a>. He leaves behind a legacy of public service and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Former Deputy President David Mabuza passes way at 64 : Natasha Phiri shares more\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V1TI-Ht9zeI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/V1TI-Ht9zeI?si=6VeHd4n4xf1lhJS-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Africa is in mourning following the passing of David Mabuza, the former Deputy President of the country. He passed away on 3 July 2025 at the age of 64 in a hospital in Sandton after a prolonged illness. His death marks the end of a significant political journey that contributed meaningfully to South Africa\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":13726,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"South Africa is in mourning following the passing of David Mabuza, the former Deputy President of the country. He passed away on 3 July 2025 at the age of 64...","footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[7317,7333,2203,1670,7318,7328,3254,2624,7330,7331,2794,3966,2937,7321,7320,7329,7332,341,2220,2803],"class_list":{"0":"post-13718","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-anc","9":"tag-breaking-news","10":"tag-cause-of-death","11":"tag-cyril-ramaphosa","12":"tag-david-mabuza","13":"tag-dd-mabuza","14":"tag-deputy-president","15":"tag-july-2025","16":"tag-life-death","17":"tag-mec","18":"tag-member-of-the-executive-council-mec","19":"tag-mpumalanga","20":"tag-news-update","21":"tag-political-history","22":"tag-political-legacy","23":"tag-politician","24":"tag-politics","25":"tag-south-africa","26":"tag-south-africa-news","27":"tag-south-african-politics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13718"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13733,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13718\/revisions\/13733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}