David Mabuza, Soouth Africa’s former deputy president, dies at 64

David Mabuza, a powerful South African politician who helped put the current president in charge, has died at the age of 64.

Mabuza was South Africa’s deputy president – the country’s second-in-command – from 2018 until 2023. But his most important role was helping Cyril Ramaphosa become the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in 2017.

The presidency announced his death on Thursday but didn’t say what killed him.

Back in 2017, Ramaphosa was in a tight race to become head of the ANC, South Africa’s most powerful political party. Mabuza’s support was crucial in helping Ramaphosa win that contest.

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Once Ramaphosa became ANC leader, his allies then pushed the previous president, Jacob Zuma, to quit his job. This allowed Ramaphosa to become South Africa’s president.

“The former deputy president deserves our appreciation for his deep commitment to the liberation struggle and to the nation’s development as an inclusive, prosperous, democratic state,” Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement.

Mabuza had been sick for a while, and people hadn’t seen him much in public lately, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The broadcaster didn’t say what illness he had.

Before becoming deputy president, Mabuza was a schoolteacher who worked his way up in politics. He eventually became the top politician in Mpumalanga province, one of South Africa’s nine provinces.

However, Mabuza’s career was overshadowed by serious accusations. People accused him of engaging in dodgy business deals when South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup football tournament. He was also accused of being connected to political murders.

Mabuza always said these accusations were lies, but they followed him throughout his political career. Despite the controversies, he remained one of the most influential politicians in the ANC.

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In 2015, Mabuza made a shocking claim: he said someone had tried to poison him. He started calling himself “The Cat” because he said he had survived political attacks that could have killed him, according to SABC.

The nickname became popular, and people later found out that Mabuza had gone to Moscow, Russia’s capital, to get special medical treatment.

He never really proved his poisoning claim, but it showed how dangerous South African politics can be. Politicians sometimes face real threats to their lives because of their activities.

Mabuza’s death removes one of the most important behind-the-scenes players in recent South African politics. Without his support, Ramaphosa might never have become president.

His passing comes at a difficult time for the ANC, which has been losing support from voters and dealing with corruption scandals that have damaged the party’s reputation.