Newly appointed Deputy President David Mabuza has lashed out at those questioning his suitability for the position‚ saying his name is being smeared because people don’t want to be led "by a village boy". Mabuza has for years faced allegations of being involved in the political killings of his opponents in his home province but he has never been charged by law enforcement agencies. "These smear campaigns started in 2009‚ the moment I became premier, because people did not expect a village boy becoming premier‚ they would not accept it‚" he told journalists. "Since 2009‚ it’s now 2018‚ nine years later‚ they are still talking about this thing and now I’m deputy president. Probably you’ll talk about these things until I die." A buoyant Mabuza said his political detractors started embarking on a smear campaign against him in 2009 as an attempt to prevent him from becoming the premier of Mpumalanga‚ a position he went on to occupy from later that year until this week. Mabuza’s credibili...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.