By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former African National Congress (ANC) and South African deputy president David Dabede Mabuza has been laid to rest at a family burial site in Barberton, Mpumalanga.
Mabuza died on Thursday, July 3, at a hospital in Johannesburg due to breathing difficulties. He was 64.
The funeral service was held at Hoërskool Bergvlam in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
Mabuza was afforded a State Funeral Category 2, which included full military honours.
Mabuza served as deputy president of the ANC from December 2017 to December 2022 and before that, he was the premier of Mpumalanga from 2009 to 2018.
In February 2018, president Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him as deputy president of South Africa.
When Ramaphosa was re-elected to a full term as president after the 2019 general election, he re-appointed Mabuza as his deputy.
Delivering the eulogy at Mabuza’s funeral service, Ramaphosa described the day as a moment of sombre reflection.
“We are gathered here today in solemn remembrance to honour the life of a man who, in many ways, made a huge contribution to our journey to a democratic South Africa. We are also here to celebrate the life of a fine son of Mpumalanga and a man of the people.
“It is as a servant of the people for which our departed leader and comrade David Dabede Mabuza will be best known and for which he will be forever remembered. David Mabuza, DD, as he was fondly known, was a revered leader not only in his home province of Mpumalanga but throughout the country as well,” he said.
He highlighted that Mabuza leaves a legacy of “being quick to respond to matters of service delivery”.
“Over the past days, we have heard from a number of young citizens of Mpumalanga, who have described him as a father of the community, who helped bring development to many rural parts of Mpumalanga.
“Today in this province, there are families who now live in decent homes because during door-to-door campaigns, DD intervened on the spot and at some point, dug into his own pockets to meet their needs. Those houses were not built after years of follow-up meetings. They were erected within months because he was not one to make empty promises,” he said.
Ramaphosa reflected on the five years he and Mabuza spent as President and Deputy President of South Africa.
“[During] this time, I came to know him as a person who understood the responsibility that he had been given. He was dependable, reliable and an excellent deputy.
“As Leader of Government Business in Parliament, he worked to ensure that the will of the people was reflected in the laws of the land and in the programmes of the state.
“In all his responsibilities as Deputy President, from land reform to HIV and AIDS, from anti-poverty initiatives to addressing the needs of veterans, David Mabuza could always be relied on. We will always remember him as a unifier,” he said.
The President offered words of solace and comfort to the family and gave a final word to the departed man himself.
A tearful Angela, daughter of Mabuza, “Papa, it’s now your time to rest. Finally, you get your rest and have the peace you deserve. We love you.”
“There’s so much that we’re going to miss,” Angela said.
“We’ll miss his presence — the way his entry changed the room, the sound of his footsteps, the look on his face when something wasn’t right, that sharp, sinking silence before he would simply ask, ‘What’s the problem?’
“We’ll miss his laughter, especially when it came from deep within and reached all the way to his eyes. Those moments were rare and unforgettable.”
Angela described her father as a man of discipline and impeccable style.
“We’ll miss his immaculate suits. His socks were always hidden, his shoes polished, his posture strong and unshakable. Dad didn’t walk – he moved with purpose, with direction.”
Mabuza’s son, Mxolisi, also spoke at the funeral, remembering his father’s passion for education.
“Education was one of our father’s greatest passions,” he said. “He spoke about it constantly as a tool for success and the foundation for freedom.”
“He called our report cards ‘magic tickets’… not because they guaranteed gifts, but because they represented effort, discipline and freedom.”
The Mpumalanga-born politician – affectionately referred to as DD or The Cat – was a teacher by training. However, he was drawn into political activism and, subsequently, the public service.
Mabuza’s journey into the public service began in 1994 in Mpumalanga, where he served as a Member of the Executive Council in several portfolios.
Mabuza was born in Phola, Mpumalanga, on 25 August 1960 — is survived by his wife Nonhlanhla Patience Mnisi and his children.