David Mabuza calls in sick, again
Loading player...
For the second time in as many months, Deputy President David Mabuza, who has hardly been visible during the lockdown, has asked parliament to postpone his question and answer session which was scheduled to take place Thursday — because he is ill.
“The speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, has received correspondence from the deputy president of SA, Mr David Mabuza, requesting the rescheduling of his appearance before National Assembly,” parliament said in a statement on Tuesday.
Mabuza was previously scheduled to answer oral questions in both the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces in July, when he requested alternative dates.
His appearance before the National Assembly was subsequently moved to August 20. “The deputy president has once again fully committed to his availability before parliament once he fully recovered. Speaker Modise has wished the deputy president a speedy recovery,” parliament said.
Earlier in August, Mabuza’s office released a statement assuring the public he is healthy.
“We would like to assure South Africans that the deputy president is at home and well,” his office said at the time.
“Anything contrary to this is a malicious and unfortunate rumour.”
Mabuza, a former premier of Mpumalanga, was elected as deputy president of the ANC at the party’s hotly contested national conference at Nasrec in December 2017. He became deputy president of the country shortly after the national elections in 2019.
His ascent to the second highest office in the land was seen as a setback for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s drive to repair the reputational damage to the party after his predecessor Jacob Zuma’s scandal-marred nine-year rule. However, omitting Mabuza may have led to a backlash among supporters of the party’s deputy leader who helped him win control of the ANC.
Since 2015 after he was allegedly poisoned at a party, Mabuza has visited Russia on several occasions seeking treatment.
In 2018, Mabuza told parliament that the fact that the Guptas once assisted him to travel to Moscow to receive medical treatment does not mean he owes them anything and he wants them to be “brought to book”.
“Honourable member rest assured‚ being given a lift to hospital does not mean the Guptas‚ if they have done something wrong‚ should not be brought to book,” he said at the time.
“I used to say that if you come across an accident and you find people trapped in a car your duty ...
“The speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, has received correspondence from the deputy president of SA, Mr David Mabuza, requesting the rescheduling of his appearance before National Assembly,” parliament said in a statement on Tuesday.
Mabuza was previously scheduled to answer oral questions in both the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces in July, when he requested alternative dates.
His appearance before the National Assembly was subsequently moved to August 20. “The deputy president has once again fully committed to his availability before parliament once he fully recovered. Speaker Modise has wished the deputy president a speedy recovery,” parliament said.
Earlier in August, Mabuza’s office released a statement assuring the public he is healthy.
“We would like to assure South Africans that the deputy president is at home and well,” his office said at the time.
“Anything contrary to this is a malicious and unfortunate rumour.”
Mabuza, a former premier of Mpumalanga, was elected as deputy president of the ANC at the party’s hotly contested national conference at Nasrec in December 2017. He became deputy president of the country shortly after the national elections in 2019.
His ascent to the second highest office in the land was seen as a setback for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s drive to repair the reputational damage to the party after his predecessor Jacob Zuma’s scandal-marred nine-year rule. However, omitting Mabuza may have led to a backlash among supporters of the party’s deputy leader who helped him win control of the ANC.
Since 2015 after he was allegedly poisoned at a party, Mabuza has visited Russia on several occasions seeking treatment.
In 2018, Mabuza told parliament that the fact that the Guptas once assisted him to travel to Moscow to receive medical treatment does not mean he owes them anything and he wants them to be “brought to book”.
“Honourable member rest assured‚ being given a lift to hospital does not mean the Guptas‚ if they have done something wrong‚ should not be brought to book,” he said at the time.
“I used to say that if you come across an accident and you find people trapped in a car your duty ...
