David Mabuza is a South African politician who served as Deputy President of South Africa from 2018 to 2023.
He was also the deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC) from 2017 to 2022 and prime minister of Mpumalanga from 2009 to 2018.
Called “Cat”With his political survival skills, Mabuza is a controversial figure in South African politics, facing allegations of corruption, fraud and involvement in political assassinations.
File
- Full Name: David Dabede Mabuza
- Nickname: Cat
- Date of birth: August 25, 1960
- Age: 63 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Transvaal Province, Union of South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Occupation: Politician, teacher, philanthropist, anti-apartheid activist
- Height: 1.75 m
- Parents: Robert Mabuza and Norah Mabuza
- Siblings: Mike Mabuza
- Spouse: Nonhlanhla Patience Mnisi (present), Ruth Funi Silinda (div.)
- Children: Four
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: R40 million
Early life and education
David Mabuza, aka The Cat, will turn 63 in 2023. He was born on 25 August 1960 in Transvaal Province, Union of South Africa.
He grew up in Brondal, a rural area in Mpumalanga, where his father was a farm worker and his mother was a maid.
He attended Khumbula High School, where he developed an interest in politics and joined the Azania Students’ Organization (AZASO), a Black Consciousness movement.
He also joined the United Democratic Front (UDF), an anti-apartheid coalition, and the National Education Crisis Committee (NECC), a student-led organization fighting for better education for black students.
Mabuza received her National Teacher’s Certificate from Mngwenya Teachers’ Training College in 1985 and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1989.
He worked as a teacher and principal in several schools in Mpumalanga. He also served as president of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), an affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), from 1988 to 1991.
Personal life
Mabuza has been married twice. His first wife was Ruth Funi Silinda, a former member of parliament and daughter of ANC veteran Enos Mabuza.
They divorced in 2004 after 20 years of marriage. His current wife is Nonhlanhla Patience Mnisi, a former teacher and businesswoman. They have four children together.
Mabuza is a devout Christian and a member of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). He is also a philanthropist who has donated money and resources to various causes such as education, health and social development.
He also advocates the preservation of cultural heritage and the promotion of tourism in Mpumalanga.
Mabuza has faced a number of health issues throughout his life. In 2014, he was allegedly poisoned by political opponents and sought medical treatment in Russia.
He has since made several trips to Russia for follow-up. In 2019, he underwent a routine medical check-up in Cuba, which sparked speculation about his health. He also suffers from diabetes and hypertension.
Career
Mabuza began his political career as a member of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature in 1994, representing the ANC.
He has held various positions in the Mpumalanga Executive Council, such as MEC for Education, Housing, Roads and Transport, and Agriculture and Land Management. He was also the provincial president of the ANC from 2008 to 2017.
Mabuza was first elected to the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) in 2007 and became a close ally of former President Jacob Zuma. He was appointed Prime Minister of Mpumalanga in 2009 and served two terms until 2018.
During his tenure, he was accused of mismanaging provincial finances, inflating ANC membership numbers, and directing political assassinations and intimidation of opponents.
Mabuza was elected ANC deputy president in 2017 after he switched his support from Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to Cyril Ramaphosa at the last minute, in a move seen as decisive for Ramaphosa’s victory.
He was then appointed deputy president of South Africa in 2018 after Ramaphosa succeeded Zuma. He resigned from both positions in 2023, citing personal reasons.
As deputy president, Mabuza was responsible for overseeing government programmes on HIV/AIDS, land reform and service delivery.
He also heads the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), the Moral Reconstruction Movement (MRM) and the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC).
He is also the Special Envoy to South Sudan. He represents South Africa in many international forums, such as the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the United Nations (UN).
Net worth
Mabuza has an estimated net worth of 40 million Rand.
He made his fortune from his political career and investments in various business areas, such as agriculture, mining and tourism.
Death
Mabuza died on 5 April 2023, aged 63, after suffering a heart attack at his home in Pretoria. He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
President Ramaphosa announced his death, expressing condolences to Mabuza’s family and friends and declaring a state funeral for him.
He was buried in his hometown of Brondal, Mpumalanga, on 10 April 2023, following a memorial service at the Union Buildings.
Argumentative
Mabuza has been embroiled in numerous controversies throughout his political career, ranging from allegations of corruption, fraud and involvement in political assassinations to disputes over land, tenders and party leadership.
Some of the most notable controversies are:
- In 1998, he was sacked as Minister of Education after being accused of inflating Mpumalanga’s secondary school pass rate from 44.7% to 72.9% in what became known as the “Mabuza scandal”.
- In 2009, he was sued by businessman Fred Daniel, who claimed that Mabuza had orchestrated a campaign of violence and intimidation against him to seize his land and wildlife sanctuary in Badplaas. The case was dismissed by the court, and Daniel was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud and perjury.
- In 2010, he was accused of being behind the assassination of ANC leader James Nkambule, who had leaked a list of assassins allegedly hired by Mabuza to eliminate his rivals. Mabuza denied the accusations and sued Nkambule’s family for defamation, but the case never came to an end.
- In 2014, he was allegedly poisoned by political opponents and sought medical treatment in Russia. He claimed the poisoning was an attempt to stop him from exposing corruption and factionalism within the ANC.
- In 2017, he was accused of involvement in a book by journalist Rehana Rossouw, Predator Politics: Mabuza, Fred Daniel and the Great Land Scam, which detailed his alleged role in land fraud and other corruption in Mpumalanga. He dismissed the book as a fabrication and threatened to sue the author and publisher.
- In 2018, he was accused of buying votes and inflating ANC membership in Mpumalanga to secure his position as deputy president of the ANC and the country. He denied the allegations and said he had increased his membership through a rigorous recruitment campaign.
- In 2019, he was questioned by the ANC Integrity Commission, which identified him as one of the members who may have brought the party to discredit. He was cleared by the commission, which said there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
- In 2020, he was sued by the Organization Against Tax Abuse (OUTA), which filed a criminal complaint against him and 13 others and two businesses for allegedly being part of a criminal network that looted public funds and resources in Mpumalanga. He dismissed the complaint as baseless and malicious.
- In 2021, he was named by former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter as a senior politician linked to corruption and sabotage at the power company. He denied the allegations and said he supported De Ruyter’s efforts to clean up Eskom.
Social media
- Instagram Name: None
- Twitter Username: None
