David Mabuza Dies at 64: Former South African Deputy President Passes Away in Sandton Hospital
- David Dabede Mabuza passed away in a hospital in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 3 July 2025
- Mabuza was the former Deputy President of South Africa and the African National Congress
- The 64-year-old was a mathematics teacher who became a school principal and then a politician
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – David Dabede Mabuza has passed away at the age of 64.
The former Deputy President of South Africa, who was affectionately referred to as DD, passed away in a Sandton hospital on 3 July 2024.
The details of his passing were unclear at first, but his death was confirmed by numerous outlets and members of the African National Congress, of which he was a member.
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Tributes have since poured in for the former Deputy President, with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Fikile Mbalula and even the Economic Freedom Fighters all sharing condolence messages.
Who was David Mabuza?
Born at Phola Trust in Mpumalanga on 25 August 1960, Mabuza was a trained mathematics teacher by profession. He achieved his National Teacher’s Certificate from Mgwenya College of Education in 1985, before obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of South Africa in 1989.
He became a school principal before he got involved in politics. Mabuza held numerous positions in Government, including as Premier of Mpumalanga and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 2001 to 2004. He also served as the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Agriculture and Land Administration, MEC for Roads and Transport, MEC for Housing, MEC for Education and a Member of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature.
He was also the deputy president of the ANC from December 2017 to December 2022, and Deputy President of the country from 2018 until Paul Mashatile was elected as his successor in 2022.
Source: Getty Images
How did Mabuza pass away?
In a statement later released by the family, they confirmed that Mabuza wasn't sick but experienced difficulties breathing on the day he passed. He then went for a checkup at a hospital in Gauteng, where he passed away in the emergency room.
His wife was reportedly travelling from Mpumalanga to Gauteng after he fell ill, but did get there before he passed. President Cyril Ramaphosa also delayed announcing Mabuza's passing as he waited for the family to arrive, but the news was broken by Fikile Mbalula.
This reportedly caused internal unhappiness within the African National Congress (ANC), as some officials were unhappy with the Secretary-General for jumping the gun.
You can view the statement below.
Julius Malema pays tribute to Mabuza
Briefly News reported that Julius Malema shared a sad tweet following the death of the former Deputy President.
The president of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Malema, shared a photo of himself and Mabuza together.
South Africans weighed in on Malema's tweet, with some debating whether the EFF leader meant it.
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Source: Briefly News
