President Ramaphosa Extends Condolences on the Death of Former Deputy President David Mabuza
Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his 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 following a brief illness.
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“I was deeply saddened to hear about the death of David Dabede Mabuza, our former Deputy President and the previous Premier of Mpumalanga,” President Ramaphosa remarked in a statement shared with The Bulrushes.
“On behalf of the government and our nation, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife, Mrs. Mabuza, and their children.
“I also wish to express my sympathies to Deputy President Mabuza’s friends and the residents of Mpumalanga, where he served as Premier from 2009 to 2018, as well as in various roles as a Member of the Executive Council.”
President Ramaphosa further emphasized: “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.”
Throughout his time as Deputy President, Mabuza demonstrated exceptional leadership and mobilization skills as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, led the South African National Aids Council, and coordinated initiatives aimed at eradicating poverty, 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 global partners.
In his capacity, he chaired Cabinet Committees focusing on Governance, State Capacity and Institutional Development, as well as Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security.
“Today, we mourn 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,” expressed President Ramaphosa.
“The former Deputy President deserves our gratitude for his unwavering dedication to the liberation struggle and for fostering the development of our nation into an inclusive, prosperous, and democratic state.”
Vincent Magwenya, the spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, noted that further announcements regarding memorial arrangements and tributes 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 offered their “sincere condolences” to the family of the late Deputy President.
Deputy President Mabuza played a crucial role in enhancing coordination between Parliament and the Executive.
“He was committed to parliamentary accountability, consistently making himself available for questions in both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, while engaging in oversight processes with diligence and respect,” stated Parliament.
“As Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land and Agriculture, Deputy President Mabuza oversaw the implementation of key recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, established in 2018.”
Parliament also acknowledged that Deputy President Mabuza’s leadership led to the creation of significant 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.