David Dabede Mabuza: A shrewd leader, political strategist

IOL News

2 days ago

THE African National Congress (ANC) top six elected at the party's 54th national conference held at the NASREC Expo Centre on December 18, 2017 (from left) deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, secretary-general Ace Magashule, national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, president Cyril Ramaphosa, deputy president David Mabuza and treasurer-general Paul Mashatile.
Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu
THE sad news about the passing of David Dabede Mabuza, affectionately known as 'DD', took many South Africans by surprise. Surely, those who are close to him would have known about his disappearance from the public eye. However, many South Africans thought that his disappearance was part of what he had been known for – being out of the limelight.
Mabuza was not nicknamed 'The cat' for nothing. He was a difficult person to understand. He seldom talked and was literally 'an absentee Deputy President' during his two terms after he was first appointed on 27 February 2018, and again on 30 May 2019.
The big question we must pose as we pen his obituary is: What legacy is Mabuza bequeathing to the nation and the world? Importantly, what will the ANC, as his political home, indeed remember him for?
These questions are not as simple as they appear at first glance. Part of the reason is that Mabuza knew how to manoeuvre politics, when to act and how. To understand his politics, we must trace his historical background, albeit briefly.
Mabuza was born on 24 August 1960 in present-day Mpumalanga province and passed away on 3 July 2025. After completing his high school education, he obtained his National Teachers Certificate at Mgwenya College in Mpumalanga in 1985 before obtaining his BA degree at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1989. What is noticeable is that Mabuza majored in psychology. This explains some of his political acumen.
His political leadership includes inter alia being elected MEC of Education in Mpumalanga from 1994 to 1998, being elected to serve in the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) for the first time in 2007, being elected as the ANC's Provincial Chairperson in Mpumalanga from 2008 until 2017, being Premier of Mpumalanga from 2009 until 2018 when he resigned to ascend to the position of Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa from 2018 until he resigned in March 2023 to allow Paul Mashatile to occupy that position after being elected Deputy President of the party (ANC).
As we mourn Mabuza's passing, we also reflect on his politics and the legacy he is leaving behind.
To the ANC, Mabuza was a hero. Following his passing, Fikile Mbalula spoke on behalf of the ANC in his capacity as the party's Secretary-General. He described Mabuza as someone who liked unity, discipline, and transformation.
Some people in Mpumalanga will remember him as a strategist who knew how to deal with his political opponents and neutralise them. Others will remember him as a shrewd leader who did not want to be opposed. More will remember him as someone who brought political stability where there was none. Some of those who were close to him will remember him as someone who tried his level best not to make his hands 'dirty' even when he was alleged to have been involved in wrongdoing.
Linked to the above is what happened before Mabuza was sworn in as Deputy President after the 2019 general election. He was expected to appear before the ANC's National Disciplinary Committee (NDC). Mabuza delayed being sworn in until he had been cleared. This decision distinguished him from his political colleagues, who could not wait to be cleared before taking their positions in parliament. Many will forever admire him for that.
The youth of Mpumalanga will remember Mabuza for his emphasis on the role of education while being MEC of Education in that province. The Congress of South African Students (COSAS) benefited from Mabuza's advice.
On that score, Mabuza was smarter than many of his political contemporaries, both in the ANC and outside.
Many South Africans will remember Mabuza for handing Ramaphosa the Presidency. When the race between Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Ramaphosa reached a boiling point, there were clear signs that the former was on the verge of making history by becoming the ANC and South Africa's first female president.
It was Mabuza who saved Ramaphosa through what he called a 'Unity vote' from Mpumalanga. As soon as he announced that Mpumalanga would support Ramaphosa, Dr Dlamini-Zuma's hope of winning the race was dashed. Indeed, when the official results were announced, Ramaphosa won the day.
To prove that DD saved Ramaphosa, the latter only won the election with a mere 179 votes. This was unheard of in the history of the ANC. Had DD not done what he did, Ramaphosa would have lost the ANC election.
Secondly, many South Africans will remember DD as the 'absent Deputy President' during his term in office. There were many instances when DD was nowhere to be seen. To be fair to him, his ill health also contributed to this, as he would at times be reported to have flown to Russia to seek medical attention.
What has been said above should not be misconstrued to mean that Mabuza had nothing to do as Deputy President of the country. Among his responsibilities was being the leader of government business, leading land reforms, assisting in the promotion of rural development, assisting in the mechanisms meant to accelerate service delivery, coordinating plans to address poverty, leading programmes on HIV Aids, COVID-19 and many others.
Unlike many ANC leaders, Mabuza was groomed by the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) during his youth. Whether this is what made him different from his colleagues remains debatable.
May his soul rest in peace!
* Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu is Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy at Nelson Mandela University.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.