‘See you later, you said’ : David Mabuza’s wife Nonhlanhla recalls final call with him in tearful tribute

The heartbroken wife of former deputy President David Mabuza, Nonhlanhla Mabuza, delivered a moving tribute to her late husband, recalling how a phone call about his sudden hospitalisation "changed everything forever."

“I never, even in my wildest dreams, imagined a life without you. Yet here I am, writing our last love letter. I trust you can hear me, for you always said, ‘Death is not final, but rather a transition to the spiritual world,’” her tribute read. 

It was delivered by family representative Nomsa Mnisi.

Mabuza, 64, died Thursday, July 3, at a hospital in Johannesburg due to breathing difficulties. 

He is being laid to rest Saturday with a State Funeral Category 2, as declared by President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

The funeral service is being held at Hoërskool Bergvlam in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

Nonhlanhla reflected on their first meeting, saying it felt like it had happened just yesterday.

“You approached me with your quiet confidence and told me boldly that you had found what you were looking for - someone who could help build Ekhaya Le’Mshangu,” she said.

“At first I thought we were bluffing, and yet 23 years later, here we are, still building. When we met, I was searching for a man like my father …hardworking, committed, a man whose purpose was greater than himself.”

“You were looking for a woman who loved her family, someone who could help build the Mabuza household,” she said. 

“And in each other, we found something sacred - a true partnership.”

She fondly recalled their first date, describing how he charmed her with humility and grace.

“How can I forget our first date with King David, my favorite character from the Bible? I wasn't politically conscious then and didn’t know what you really were. When the waiters started calling you “bhuti” (brother), and you indulged them, it showed me your big heart. You wanted to see people first before being seen. I was sold.”

“Not only had I landed my own King David, but he also had a heart as large as the world he served,” she continued. 

“Our honeymoon phase was short-lived, as I soon realized I was sharing you… Not with another woman, but with a greater calling. And you would understand.”

She said serving the people of South Africa was his first love, which took adjustment.

“Like any young wife, I struggled with that at first. But seeing the joy, the purpose, and the impact you brought to the people of Mpumalanga, I came to embrace my place beside you - as your partner in life, with love and pride.”

Mabuza was a father to Mxolisi and Angela. 

His wife said he raised not only his own children but also many others across the nation.

“The love you had for your children was tough but empowering,” she said.

“We would sometimes wonder why it seemed easier for you to help others before your own family. But then we’d remember your words: ‘The most I can do for my family is to send you to school, so that you can free yourselves.’ And that you did - faithfully.”

“Beyond the Mabuza clan, the many children you raised, mentored and protected became my own children too,” she added. 

“Today, they surround me in this moment of grief. They remind me that you did not live in vain.”

She recalled Mabuza’s excitement upon learning they were expecting their daughter, Angela.

“I remember the excitement on your face when you heard we were expecting Angela. You personally made arrangements for the delivery to be on the 7th. Elections were on the 14th, and you wanted to be there for us.”

“Thank you. I will forever be grateful to you, Mshengu, for giving me the space and freedom to pursue my own passions, to raise our children, and to walk beside you - not in your shadow, but with you.”

She thanked Mabuza for choosing her as a life partner and praised the quiet impact he made across the country.

“You touched so many lives, quietly and profoundly. And when you left the government, you said it was time to take care of your health and make up for lost time with your family - and you kept that promise.”

“I'll miss our morning routine - coffee with Zingwa Sembila, sometimes scones - where we’d catch up on plans for the day. Some days it was quick and light, other days longer, especially when you’d been away.”

She recalled their final conversation.

“When you left for your regular checkups, I didn’t worry. You always came back to us, to your favorite place - home. I remember our last call. You said you slept well, that the bloods were okay, just a small concern with your oxygen levels. You sounded like yourself, still full of hope, still making plans.”

“We even laughed, wondering what time you’d be home. ‘See you later,’ you said. We knew what that meant. We carried on with our day, expecting you as we always did. I didn’t know that that call would be the last.”

“An hour later, they called me: ‘Mama, we’re taking ubaba to hospital. Please come.’ Just like that, everything changed.”

“I’m sorry, my love. If we didn’t appreciate you enough while you were here, I now know you did your best. With what you knew and all you had, you gave so much of yourself - to us, to the country, to the cause.”

“There is so much I still don’t understand, so much I still want to ask you,” she said, her voice heavy with grief. “But I trust the One who knows all things.”

She ended her tribute with a verse and a promise, “We trust God. He knows. He sees. And He will not leave us, just as Psalm 34:18 promises. Now I speak to the silence you’ve left behind, to the empty chair, to the quiet where your voice used to be.”

“I carry your memory in every room I walk into, in every face of the children and comrades you loved. Rest now, Mshengu Wam. I will carry the rest of the journey with the strength you left behind in all of us  your forever love.”

[email protected]

IOL Politics