Premier Mandla Ndlovu mourns pasing of former Deputy President of the Republic, David Mabuza

The Mpumalanga Premier, Mr Mandla Ndlovu, says the death of the former Deputy President of the Republic, Mr David Mabuza, is a blow to the country and the province in particular. Mabuza’s passing was confirmed by the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, on Thursday.

Premier Ndlovu says Mabuza was a towering figure who devoted his time to serve the people of the country. “It is with profound sadness and a deep sense of national loss that we mourn the passing of former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr David Dabede Mabuza. We join the President and the country in conveying our condolences to his family for the loss,” the Premier elaborated.

Mr Ndlovu says Mabuza’s passion for education leaves behind a rich legacy for learners in Mpumalanga, through the eradication of farm schools by replacing them with state-of-the-art boarding schools. He attributed the passion to Mabuza's visionary leadership, which was characterised by massive infrastructure development and human capital in the province.

He says Mabuza shaped Mpumalanga as a united province in its diversity. “In his tenure as the MEC for Education, the Premier and later as the Deputy President, Mabuza served our province and our country with distinction, and with a deep sense of commitment to the ideals of democracy, peace, unity and the upliftment of our people,” the Premier emphasised.

Mabuza, as the Premier substantiated, was driven by passion to serve until his last breath. “I personally worked with him when we served as Chairperson and Secretary respectively. We shared ideas and learned a lot from each other. As a former educator myself, he shaped my perspective on how commitment can propel you from the class as an educator to participate in responsibilities of a bigger scale,” he explained.

As the country mourns Mabuza’s departure, Premier Ndlovu urged communities in Mpumalanga to honour him for dedicating his life to the service of the country and the province. The Premier will lead Members of the Executive Council on a visit to the bereaved Mabuza family. Date will be announced soon.

Enquiries:
Mr George Mthethwa
Provincial Government Spokesperson
Cell: 083 302 2774

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