African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula will on Tuesday lead a delegation to former Deputy President David Mabuza’s home in Mpumalanga to pay respects following his passing.

Mabuza passed away in hospital on Thursday, following a short illness. He was 65 years of age.

On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared Mabuza will be honoured with a State Funeral Category 2 on Saturday.

He has since ordered that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations around the country during this period.

Remembering Mabuza, Mbalula said Mabuza embodied “disciplined, humble, and people-centred leadership”.

“…a son of the soil, born of rural hardship, he never detached from the lived realities of ordinary South Africans. His leadership was quiet but effective, grounded in the ethos of care, dialogue, and delivery.

“We remember his powerful and principled declaration: “No child must be denied quality education because he or she is poor and living on a farm.” This was not mere rhetoric. It was a conviction rooted in personal experience and a lifelong commitment to the struggle against inequality,” he said.

Mabuza served as Premier of Mpumalanga prior to his leadership in the Union Buildings, serving, Mbalula said, with “strategic calm, unity-building focus, and institutional wisdom”.

He also noted his election as the ANC’s  Deputy President in 2017, which he said marked a critical moment of “renewal and stabilisation” within the movement.

“As Deputy President of the Republic, he led inter-ministerial committees focused on land reform, rural and township economic revitalisation, and accelerated service delivery. As Deputy President, he also assumed responsibilities for the South African National AIDS Council, work related to the plight of military veterans and a host of

other issues assigned to him by the President. Internationally, he represented South Africa with quiet dignity and a firm strategic hand,” he said.

He explained that Mabuza was a unifier in moments of deep political uncertainty, “a stabilising force whose legacy will grow in clarity and appreciation” with time.

“…the ANC salutes this loyal cadre and faithful patriot who walked with kings but never lost the common touch,” said Mbalula.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Meanwhile, the party reiterated opposition parties’ calls for Ramaphosa to act with seriousness and urgency following the explosive allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

During a media briefing over the weekend, Mkhwanazi made allegations of corruption, political interference, and malfeasance, specifically accusing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of unilaterally disbanding the Political Killings Task Team and redirecting 121 active investigation dockets to the office of National Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, where they have allegedly been neutralised.

The party said it took seriously the recent allegations made by Mkhwanazi, noting that they touched on the very integrity of the criminal justice system and the constitutional obligation of the State to protect all South Africans.

The ANC reaffirmed its commitment to accountability, non-interference in law enforcement, and the full protection of whistleblowers, investigators, and officers of the law.

Also, the party acknowledged the sentencing of the assassin Sibusiso Ncengwa to 25 years in prison for the murder of former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa.

Judgment was handed down in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court on Monday, where Ncengwa pleaded guilty, admitting to Magaqa's murder, attempted murder, malicious injury to property and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

He was sentenced to 25 years for murder, with additional convictions including 25 years for conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of attempted murder (5 years each), three counts of malicious injury to property (3 years each), 5 years for possession of an automatic firearm, 5 years for unlawful possession of a firearm and 1 year for unlawful possession of ammunition.

“This sentencing reaffirms the principle that no act of political violence will go unpunished. While no amount of punishment can bring back the life of a revolutionary servant of the people, this ruling sends a strong message that our democracy will not tolerate violence as a means of silencing any voices,” Mbalula explained.

The party highlighted that Magaqa embodied a generation of courageous youth leaders, reiterating its unwavering commitment to eradicating all forms of political violence, safeguarding the right to life, and honouring the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives in service of “our national democratic revolution”.