ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has come under fire after he unceremoniously confirmed the death of former deputy president David Mabuza online, ignoring government protocol.
Mbalula was first to announce the news on social media on Thursday, two hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC released a statement on the matter.
Mbalula’s actions are said to have irritated the ANC’s top brass and the office of the president, who asserted the ANC leader had failed to follow protocol.
It is common practice in the government for the deaths of serving or former presidents and deputy presidents to be first announced by the Union Buildings, one well-placed official said. The person said Mbalula’s actions also did not sit well with Mabuza’s family.
The Sunday Times understands that Mabuza’s wife, Nonhlanhla Mnisi, had been travelling from Mpumalanga to the hospital where Mabuza was being treated when Mbalula posted the news on social media.
The insider said the office of the president had delayed the announcement, which came hours after Mbalula’s posting, because they were awaiting approval from the family.
The insider said the government was responsible for former presidents’ and deputy presidents’ security, medical, transportation and administrative needs. It therefore took the view that, in the unfortunate event of their death, the head of state and government is alerted immediately, and he or she is the one who makes the announcement to the nation.
One ANC leader said Mbalula’s actions forced ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri to comment publicly before Ramaphosa’s announcement. However, it was agreed that an official statement from Luthuli House would only be released after Ramaphosa’s confirmation.
In a statement on Friday, the ANC said it “rejects with disdain any suggestion that the secretary-general acted outside the bounds of respect, unity and integrity”. The ANC accused the media of trying to sow division, distort facts and exploit the passing of Mabuza for sensationalist gain.
"[The] secretary-general’s earlier social media post was a humane and compassionate reflection during a moment of collective grief, when the nation was already widely informed by media platforms. To weaponise this moment of mourning with speculative accusations and anonymous sources is not journalism — it is political gossip in search of scandal where there is none.
“The suggestion that the secretary-general announced the passing of the late former deputy president is far from the truth. It is misleading reporting by journalists who are bound by industry ethics to report objectively and factually,” it said.
Death has robbed us of a dedicated and steadfast revolutionary
— Deputy President Paul Mashatile
Mabuza died in a Johannesburg hospital on Thursday after he experienced breathing difficulties.
In a statement on Thursday, his family said he had been taken to hospital for urgent medical treatment, but passed away while he was still in the emergency room, where doctors were trying to stabilise him.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile said he was deeply hurt to have lost a friend and comrade. Mabuza’s death had come at a time when the ANC needed his wisdom, [as well as his] tried and tested leadership.
“Death has robbed us of a dedicated and steadfast revolutionary. To the people of Mpumalanga, where he cut his political teeth; the people of the country he led selflessly; and, above all, his family, we share in [your] untimely loss,” Mashatile said.
ANC elections strategist and deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said Mabuza had plans to work with her team in crafting its elections strategy.
Mokonyane indicated on Friday that in the weeks before his death, Mabuza had agreed to allow electioneers to use ANC-branded fleet of bakkies in the local government electoral campaign soon to begin in earnest.
“I see DD as one of those very few leaders of the ANC who were able to mobilise resources for the good of the ANC. We were not only dependent on him as a person, but he would use his own position and influence to help the ANC to function, such as [making available] the fleet of vehicles and the infrastructure he had.
“Everybody knows the doeks that are distributed everywhere. The first person who came up with that idea was Mabuza. He wanted to give women something they would treasure beyond a T-shirt. Wherever he went, he would always come with resources he had mobilised and support volunteers in his own way.”
Mokonyane said Mabuza had helped raise the profile of the ANC in Mpumalanga during his time as the provincial chair by buying buildings that were now owned by the party.
“During our strategy workshop, our conversation was that Mdumiseni Ntuli and I needed to come to the farm at the right time, and we had to do this thing early, so that we refurbished and serviced these vehicles. He was talking about the supply of [election] paraphernalia. He had secured a machine to drill water for the community. So even after his time in office, he wanted to be of service,” she said.
Mabuza is widely known as a turncoat for having switched sides at the watershed Nasrec conference in which Ramaphosa triumphed against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in the race for the party leadership. Mabuza, who had campaigned for unity in the ANC after years of factional divisions, stunned his allies on the Dlamini-Zuma slate when he used his voting bloc in Mpumalanga to elect Ramaphosa and walk away as his deputy.
Mokonyane was among the ANC leaders who were stunned by his decision at the time.
Mokonyane was a leader in the ANC Women’s League, which had campaigned for Dlamini-Zuma.
“While we had expected that DD would have voted with us and supported the candidacy of Dlamini-Zuma, it was DD the morning after the voting who called me to a meeting, and I went to that meeting with Mbalula.
“We met outside the parking lot in Nasrec, and until today I never ... hated DD for that, because he was open and frank, contrary to what everybody says.
“For that reason, I respected him, because beyond that both [he] and Dlamini-Zuma remained comrades. And after that meeting, I had to go to explain to the comrades what had happened and [say what his view was]. We had a responsibility to be leaders and appreciate DD, and for that I’m forever grateful. We saw a person in the ANC who rose above factional positions and was the one who embraced Dlamini-Zuma when others wanted to demonise her,” Mokonyane said.
Beyond the 2017 conference, she said, Mabuza’s decision to forfeit his position as deputy president, to make way for Mashatile after he was elected in the 2022 conference, showed him to be humble.
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