David Mabuza’s R44m Pension Sparks Legal Battle, Daughter Disputes Widow’s Sole Beneficiary Status
- David Dabede Mabuza's family are embroiled in a legal struggle over his R44 million pension
- A child of the late former deputy president approached the Mpumalanga High Court about the funds
- South Africans took to social media to debate how the fund works and who was entitled to a share from it
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.
MPUMALANGA – A legal battle is brewing over the R44 million pension of the late former deputy president, David Dabede Mabuza.
DD, as he was affectionately known, passed away on 3 July 2025, after a short illness at a hospital in Sandton. He was 64 years old at the time of his death.
The former deputy president’s private life is now in the public eye, after one of his children approached the courts to stop his pension being paid out to Mabuza’s wife, Nonhlahla Patience Mnisi.
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Tamara Silinda, who claims Mabuza was married to her mother Emunah in a customary union, filed papers at the Mpumalanga High Court on 17 September 2025 to interdict the payout.
Why is Silinda attempting to prevent the payout?
Silinda wants Alexander Forbes to pause any payout until the rightful beneficiaries are finalised. Silinda and her mother challenged the nomination of Mnisi as the sole beneficiary of the pension, saying that it unjustly excludes other dependants. Alexander Forbes reportedly revealed that Mnisi was the sole beneficiary and planned to transfer the payout to her.
Silinda also has challenged the legality of the marriage certificate produced by Mnisi, saying that at the time of his death, the former African National Congress member was married to her mother under customary law and that the marriage was still valid.
"The first respondent, Mnisi, claims to be the deceased’s wife and has produced a marriage certificate obtained posthumously from the Department of Home Affairs. We challenge the legality of this certificate as no valid marriage could have been concluded or registered after death,” she stated.
Source: Getty Images
Silinda also wants interim maintenance support
Silinda and her mother also requested an interim maintenance support of R40,000. This is for monthly living expenses. She is also demanding R127,990 for her tuition fees at the University of Cape Town, saying that her father provided for her when he was alive.
"The sudden demise of my father resulted in my loss of support and basic necessities, including tuition fees, exacerbating my financial vulnerability,” she said in the application.
The matter will be heard in court on Tuesday, 23 September 2025.
How did South Africans react?
Social media users shared mixed reactions as they debated the development. Some questioned whether Mabuza had a will, while others speculated whether Silinda had a legal leg to stand on.
@DeeCover611 asked:
“So, a whole former deputy president didn’t have a will?”
@msmonakhisi stated:
“A will won’t work in this case. He must have completed a beneficiary form at work, which is supposed to be used. The daughter is definitely going to get something, as she says he was taking care of her. She was depending on him. Would like to see how her mother’s issue is going to turn out.”
@Ndaba_2025 questioned:
“He didn’t write a will? Politicians are fools even after death.”
@gubsie15 asked:
“Don’t children have an automatic share of their parents' estate in the event of death?”
@ZondiMotha5745 explained:
“Beneficiaries of pension money are listed on those documents after nomination. Tamara was not on Alexander Forbes' books. Not nominated. Whether Dabede did a good or bad thing, the court must decide, but one thing is for sure: pension rules define a beneficiary/dependant.”
@SiphoKolanisi1 stated:
“According to the intestate estate, all Mabuza's children have a share of the estate under what is known as Child Share.”
@MogatikediS said:
“It is a different ball game altogether with pension. Marriage does matter, but not to the exclusion of other family members, including illegitimate and stepchildren. The threshold is dependency. The claimant must prove that he/she was dependent on the deceased and that the deceased supported him or them.”
@IamSbuda_Maluda exclaimed:
“Yoh, this case is going to drag. Why don’t people want to sort out their paperwork before they die? Once these things go to court, they can take a long time to resolve, and their loved ones will be suffering.”
@benbekezela claimed:
“If she were financially dependent on DD, and she has evidence that DD was sending her money for her upkeep or paying her fees and accommodation, then the courts will rule in her favour.”
Julius Malema mourns the passing of Mabuza
Briefly News reported that Julius Malema shared a sad tweet following the passing of Mabuza.
The Economic Freedom Fighters leader (EFF) shared the post after Mabuza's funeral date was confirmed.
South Africans called Malema out for the post, noting that he previously insulted Mabuza.
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Source: Briefly News
