Mabuza, the former deputy president of South Africa, passes away

The presidency of South Africa announced Thursday the death of David Mabuza, the former deputy president who played a key role in the ascent of current President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The 64-year-old Mabuza, who was deputy president from 2018 to 2023, was instrumental in securing Ramaphosa’s victory in the fierce 2017 party race for the presidency of the African National Congress. There was no immediate information about the cause of death.

After the 2017 election, Ramaphosa became head of state after his supporters on the ANC leadership forced scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma to resign.

“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,” said a statement issued by Ramaphosa’s office.

Without revealing the ailment, public broadcaster the South African Broadcasting Corporation said Mabuza had been ill and had not been seen in public much lately.

Mabuza, the former premier of the province of Mpumalanga and a teacher, found it difficult to deny claims of illegal tenders for a 2010 World Cup stadium and connections to political killings.

Mabuza referred to himself as “The Cat” for surviving what he called political attacks after telling the media that he had been poisoned in 2015, according to SABC.

It was eventually revealed that Mabuza had traveled to Moscow for specialized treatment, and the nickname stuck.