Ex- Vice President Is D!es

Ex- Vice President Is Dies

David Mabuza, South Africa’s former vice president and a key figure in the nation’s recent political history, has died at the age of 64. President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed Mabuza’s death on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Mpumalanga Province after a short illness.

Mabuza, who served as deputy president from 2018 until his resignation in 2023, was known for his early activism and political maneuvering, which helped Ramaphosa secure leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) in 2017. His last-minute switch of support during the party’s conference was seen by many as pivotal in shifting South Africa away from former President Jacob Zuma’s influence.

President Ramaphosa, in a statement, described Mabuza as a leader who “helped shape South Africa’s engagement with our continental compatriots and the international community.”

Born on August 25, 1960, in Phola Trust township in Mpumalanga, Mabuza was a trained teacher and anti-AIDS activist before entering politics. He earned a degree in psychology from the University of South Africa in 1989.

While Mabuza rose to become one of the most influential figures in the ANC, his career was shadowed by allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds, including claims of redirecting resources meant for schools and services to build political loyalty within Mpumalanga. These allegations clashed with Ramaphosa’s anti-corruption stance and gradually eroded Mabuza’s political capital.

Mabuza’s decision to decline a nomination for another term as ANC deputy leader in 2022 effectively ended his political career.

He is survived by his wife and children.

Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.