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Politicians send off David Mabuza
Mabuza died last week on Thursday aged 65 following a short illness.
Hundreds of mourners, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and former president Thabo Mbeki, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and leaders of opposition parties, gathered at Hoërskool Bergvlam in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, this morning for the funeral service of the late ex-deputy president David Mabuza.
Mabuza died last week on Thursday aged 65 following a short illness.
His mortal remains were transported from Mbombela to his homestead in Barberton on Friday.
People started gathering at the venue before the start of the official programme at 9am. Ramaphosa granted his former deputy a State Funeral Category Two.
In South Africa, a State Funeral Category 2 is a specific type of state-organised funeral, typically held for late individuals like a Deputy President (serving or former), the Acting President, and other high-ranking officials deemed by the President to warrant such recognition. It includes prescribed military ceremonial honours.
Former president Jacob Zuma, who had a major political fallout with Mabuza after the latter choose to support Ramaphosa instead of former veteran minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma at the hotly contested ANC elective conference in 2017, was conspicuous by his absence from the funeral.
But Zuma was not the only big political figure absent, former acting president Kgalema Motlanthe was also not there.
