The country is currently observing a period of mourning which entails national flags flying at half-mast until Mabuza’s official state funeral on Saturday.

ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula says Mabuza’s death is a loss for both the party and the country.

Mbalula has also described the deceased as the embodiment of disciplined, humble, and people centered leadership.

"A son of the soil, born of rural hardship, he never detached himself from the lived realities of ordinary citizens. We remember his powerful and principled declaration, I quote, no child must be denied quality education because he or she is poor and living in a farm, close quote.

This was not mere rhetoric, it was a conviction rooted in personal experience and a lifelong commitment to the struggle against inequality."

--SABC--