President Ramaphosa Expresses Condolences Following the Death of Former Deputy President David Mabuza

Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep sadness over the passing of former deputy president, David Mabuza, who was 65 years old.

Former deputy president Mabuza died today, Thursday, 3 July 2025, in a hospital in Mpumalanga after a short illness.

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“I received the news with immense sorrow regarding the death of David Dabede Mabuza, our former deputy president and prior premier of Mpumalanga,” President Ramaphosa mentioned in a statement shared with The Bulrushes.

“On behalf of the government and the nation, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife, Mrs. Mabuza, and their children.

“I also convey my sympathies to Deputy President Mabuza’s friends and the residents of Mpumalanga, where he served as premier from 2009 to 2018, and earlier as a Member of the Executive Council in various roles.”

President Ramaphosa further remarked: “My thoughts are with Deputy President Mabuza’s comrades from his political home, the African National Congress, where he was elected Deputy President of the organization in December 2017.”

During his time as Deputy President, Mabuza demonstrated his leadership and mobilization capabilities as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, led the South African National Aids Council, and coordinated anti-poverty programs such as Public Employment Programmes, Integrated Service Delivery, and Enterprise Development.

Deputy President Mabuza also represented South Africa on international platforms and strengthened relations with key partners.

In his capacity, he chaired Cabinet Committees concerning Governance, State Capacity and Institutional Development, as well as Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security.

“Today, we mourn the loss of a leader who was deeply rooted in activism early in his political journey and who went on to guide our nation and shape South Africa’s engagements with both African and international communities during his deputy presidency,” President Ramaphosa stated.

“The former deputy president deserves our gratitude for his unwavering dedication to the liberation struggle and for contributing to the development of our nation into an inclusive, prosperous, and democratic state.”

Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, mentioned that further announcements regarding memorial arrangements and honors to honor the former Deputy President will be made in due course.

Meanwhile, the Presiding Officers of Parliament, including Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, have conveyed their “sincere condolences” to the family of the former deputy president.

Deputy President Mabuza played a crucial role in improving coordination between Parliament and the Executive.

“He remained committed to parliamentary accountability, consistently making himself available for inquiries in both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, while engaging in oversight processes with diligence and respect,” Parliament stated.

“As Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land and Agriculture, Deputy President Mabuza oversaw the implementation of essential recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, established in 2018.”

Parliament also highlighted that Deputy President Mabuza’s leadership was instrumental in creating critical policy instruments, including the Land Court Act, which established full-time judges to handle land-related cases, along with the Land Beneficiary and Allocation Policy and the Land Donation Policy.