In a heartfelt tribute at former deputy president David Mabuza’s funeral, his wife Nonhlanhla revealed their final conversation – an ordinary “see you later” that became their last goodbye.
The 64-year-old leader, who died on July 3 from breathing complications, was laid to rest Saturday in Mbombela with Category 2 state honors.
Reading the emotional letter, family representative Nomsa Mnisi shared how Nonhlanhla remembered their 23-year journey – from their first date where she unknowingly met a future leader (“I wasn’t politically conscious then”) to building both their home and his political legacy.
“At first I thought we were bluffing about building Ekhaya Le’Mshangu,” she wrote of their early days. “Yet 23 years later, here we are, still building.”
The tribute painted a portrait of a man who balanced public service with family life, sometimes to his family’s initial frustration. “I soon realized I was sharing you… not with another woman, but with a greater calling,” she wrote, recalling how she came to understand his devotion to South Africa.
Nonhlanhla particularly cherished his excitement about their daughter Angela’s birth, when he carefully scheduled the delivery between political commitments. She also thanked him for “giving me space to walk beside you – not in your shadow.”
The most poignant moment came as she recounted their final phone call – a routine check-in where he mentioned minor oxygen concerns but remained hopeful. “We even laughed, wondering what time you’d be home,” she wrote. An hour later, a call about his hospitalization “changed everything forever.”
Closing with Psalm 34:18, she promised: “I will carry the rest of the journey with the strength you left behind in all of us – your forever love.”
The tribute offered South Africans an intimate glimpse of the man behind the politician, remembered by his wife as both a devoted family man and committed servant of the people.
