‘The Cat’ who united SA politics, and cracked jokes

THE late former deputy president, David “The Cat” Mabuza, was strict when it came to instilling unity among his ANC comrades, but would also throw jokes to ease tensions, said ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) member, Dakota Legoete.

- BONGANI HANS

Many who paid tribute after hearing of Mabuza’s death following a short illness, described him as an icon in the Struggle against apartheid and a workers' rights activist.

His activism dates back to when he was the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) chairperson between 1988 and 1991, the Azanian Student Organisation (AZASO) in the mid-1980s, and the National Education Crisis Committee coordinator and chairperson of the National Education Union of South Africa in the late 1980s.