Why David Mabuza was called 'The Cat'

FORMER Mpumalanga premier, Dr Mathews Phosa, has paid tribute to his counterpart former deputy President David Dabede Mabuza, inset, who hailed from Mpumalanga and also previously served as premier of the province from 2009 to 2018.

- JONISAYI MAROMO

Mabuza, 64, died in hospital on Thursday. He served as deputy president during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first term at the Union Buildings.

On Friday, as tributes continued to pour for the man nicknamed “The Cat” in South African politics due to his survival instinct, Phosa described Mabuza as a shrewd politician who contributed significantly to South Africa.

“He was a very shrewd politician. They call him the cat, not for nothing, he had many political tricks which entertained people. It got him where he got at the end of the day,” Phosa said in an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.

Mabuza will be remembered for among other things, his skil-ful manoeuvring at the ANC 2017 elective conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg, where the then Mpumalanga premier became kingmaker in Ramaphosa’s path to the Union Buildings.

Widely believed to be a backer of contender Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Mabuza at the last minute threw his decisive weight behind Ramaphosa, a move which earned him the second-in-command position in the presidency.

Reminiscing on the thriller conference, Phosa said Mabuza consulted him before making the tough decision.

“DD was initially standing with Nkosazana. I remember when we stood outside the conference room, he said what do I do? I said we have thrown our lot with comrade Cyril. He said he was being pulled this way and that way. I said to him it is a democracy and he had a right to choose, and he must decide and follow his heart. He supported comrade Cyril Ramaphosa,” said Phosa.