Mabuza: A master tactician who navigated a brutal political arena

David Dabede 'DD' Mabuza passed away in Johannesburg on 3 July 2025, at the age of 64. Quiet yet formidable, Mabuza's journey from rural Mpumalanga to national power was as improbable as it was compelling.

- DR. RENEVA FOURIE

Mabuza's political career was one of remarkable resilience, calculated manoeuvring, and a reputation for feline-like cunning that earned him the nickname "The Cat". Through shrewd calculations, alliance-building, and opportunistic shifts, he not only secured provincial supremacy but also played a decisive role in the national political realignment that led to Cyril Ramaphosa’s rise to presidency in 2017.

Mabuza's political life began in earnest after his years as a teacher and school principal. Having served in the South African Democratic Teachers' Union, he joined the ANC after its unbanning in 1990.

By skillfully navigating factional terrain, he climbed the ranks of the ANC and provincial government through a mixture of administrative competence and careful alliance-building. His stints as MEC for several departments, ranging from Education to Agriculture, provided him with the practical experience to understand how power operates and how it can be directed strategically.

When the opportunity arose to challenge Thabang Makwetla for the ANC provincial chairpersonship in Mpumalanga in 2008, he struck with the precision of a predator that had stalked its prey quietly and patiently. His victory opened the door to the Mpumalanga premiership, a position he would hold from 2009 until his breakthrough to national ranks.

Mabuza did not merely inherit a power base in Mpumalanga; he built one. He expanded the provincial ANC's delegate count to the national conferences, dramatically increasing its influence within the party.