The grieving widow of a former Mpumalanga whistleblower has accused late former Deputy President David Mabuza of taking critical information about her husband’s murder to the grave. The emotional outburst followed Mabuza’s recent burial, which was attended by top ANC leaders, government officials, and business figures.
Mabuza, who died after a prolonged illness, has long been suspected by activists and some victims’ families of having intimate knowledge of politically motivated killings in Mpumalanga — a province infamously dubbed the “assassination capital” of South Africa.
The widow, who has asked not to be named for her safety, said her husband was gunned down after exposing a corruption syndicate linked to provincial officials. “He was killed in broad daylight, and nobody has ever been arrested. For years, I pleaded with the authorities, including Mabuza himself, to help uncover the truth. He knew what happened. He promised me answers. Now he’s dead, and so are my hopes for justice,” she said.
Her late husband was a municipal official and a whistleblower who reportedly submitted damaging evidence to the Hawks before his murder. While no direct link to Mabuza was ever established, the widow insists that the former premier and political heavyweight knew more than he revealed.
Civil society groups have echoed her concerns, demanding that unresolved political killings in Mpumalanga be reopened. “There is a pattern of silence and fear that has plagued this province for over a decade,” said a representative from the Right2Know Campaign. “Many brave individuals died trying to expose rot, and Mabuza was a central figure in that political ecosystem. His silence was deafening.”
Mabuza had repeatedly denied involvement in any killings or cover-ups. However, critics argue that his influence in Mpumalanga allowed a climate of fear and impunity to flourish under his leadership.
As tributes poured in for Mabuza during his funeral, the widow’s anger stood in stark contrast to the national mourning. “They called him a man of peace, but where was that peace when we buried my husband without answers?” she asked tearfully.
With Mabuza’s death, many fear that critical secrets about political assassinations in Mpumalanga may never come to light, leaving grieving families without closure — and justice hanging in the balance.