Remembering David Mabuza: The Cat who united South African politics

The late former deputy president, David “The Cat” Mabuza, was strict when it came to instilling unity among his ANC comrades, but would also throw jokes to ease tensions, said ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) member, Dakota Legoete.

Many who paid tribute after hearing of Mabuza’s death on Friday at a hospital in Johannesburg, following a short illness, described him as an icon in the Struggle against apartheid and a workers’ rights activist. 

The former school teacher who was promoted to be a principal was also known for promoting education for black children.

His activism dates back to when he was the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) chairperson between 1988 and 1991, the Azanian Student Organisation (AZASO) in the mid-1980s, and the National Education Crisis Committee coordinator and chairperson of the National Education Union of South Africa in the late 1980s. 

He was born on August 25, 1960, at the rural Phola village in Mpumalanga, but started his political career as a Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) activist.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile said Mabuza was not “really” sick on Friday.

“He had woken up nicely, but he complicated during the day,” said Mashatile. 

Describing his funny side of life, Legoete, who interacted with Mabuza in the NEC, said the man was bubbly and would often make jokes out of serious situations while remaining strict. 

“He was very strict, as you could see that he was a school principal, but at the same time, he was a funny person who liked making jokes.

“Every time he walked out of the hospital from sickness, he would say, ‘Dakota The Cat is back; a cat is coming back. You thought I won’t come back, I am back, my brother, let's work,” said Legoete.

Mabuza’s visit to Russia for medical treatment in 2021, following reports that he had been poisoned, led to controversy, with the Democratic Alliance questioning who had footed the bill for that trip and medical costs. 

However, it was later revealed that he had paid from his pocket.  

Legoete said Mabuza got the name The Cat from Mpumalanga, as when it was believed that his political career had died, he would make an unexpected return. 

“Therefore, he became known as a 'cat with nine lives',” he said.

The former Mpumalanga premier later acquired the name Mr Unity “because when everybody was caught up in a catch-22 situation, he opted to bring something nobody thought of”.

“During the 2017 ANC elective conference, he brought that thing called ‘unity’.

“That was one of the characteristics that managed to reduce tensions during that conference,” said Legoete. 

That characterisation is also befitting of a character like him because he was somebody who always wanted to mediate things, said Legoete.  

Mabuza was elected the ANC deputy president at the elective conference held at Nasrec in Johannesburg in December 2017, beating his contender, Lindiwe Sisulu, by 2,538 votes. President Cyril Ramaphosa narrowly won against Jacob Zuma-backed Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to become the party's 14th president. 

Legoete said Mabuza’s death was a “terrible” loss to his family, the ANC, his second family, and the country. 

“The loss is so terrible because we were still looking ahead to him making a comeback in politics, as he had a valuable contribution to make. 

“We were still warming up to his leadership and direction,” said Legoete. 

He said Mabuza had brought the debate on the plight of military veterans to Parliament. 

“He was somebody with a passion for service delivery.”

He said Mabuza paid school and tertiary fees for children from the farm working communities in Mpumalanga. 

“He was somebody who could sacrifice his benefit to share with the poorest of the poor. 

“Under his leadership, Mpumalanga was, on average, one of the progressive provinces in terms of service delivery,” Legoete said. 

According to the Presidency, as the deputy president, Mabuza was the leader of Government Business in Parliament. 

He also assisted Ramaphosa in fast-tracking the Land Reform, agricultural, township, and rural economy support programmes. 

He also led the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), which dealt with challenges in the fight against HIV and Aids.

While in Mpumalanga, Mabuza served as premier between 2009 and 2018. He was also MEC for Agriculture and Land Administration, Roads and Transport, Housing, and Education.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of South Africa in 1989, following his achievement of a National Teacher’s Certificate from Mgwenya College of Education in 1985.

Expressing his condolences, Ramaphosa said: “We are saddened today by the loss of a leader who was grounded in activism at the early stages of his political career and who came to lead our nation and shape South Africa’s engagement with our continental compatriots and the international community in his role as deputy president.”

Mabuza resigned as MP and deputy president in May 2023.

He leaves behind his wife, Nonhlanhla Patience Mnisi, and their children. 

bongani.hans@inl.co.za