David Mabuza's "two wives" are each claiming to be the sole beneficiary of his multimillion-rand estate. Image credit: CentralNews
(The Post News) – In the Mpumalanga High, a bitter family feud has erupted following the death of former Deputy President David “DD” Mabuza, with a R44.7 million pension payout at the centre of the dispute. His second wife, Nonhlanhla Patience Mnisi, is being sued by his daughter, Tamara Silinda, and her mother, Emunah Silinda, Mabuza’s first wife. The lawsuit was filed just two months after Mabuza’s death on July 3, 2025. The result may alter the legal standing of traditional weddings and dependent rights in South Africa.
The main issue is Alexander Forbes Financial Services’ management of Mabuza’s sizeable living annuity. In order to prevent the money from being released to Mnisi, first-year medical student Tamara Silinda has submitted an urgent application. As a dependent, she contends that she depends on the funds for living expenses and her education, which her father supplied while he was living.
A Complex Web of Claims and Counter-Claims
The legitimacy of a traditional marriage and dependents’ rights are the two main tenets upon which the legal challenge is based.
According to Mabuza’s ex-wife Emunah Silinda, she was legally wed to him in 1999. According to the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, she is asking the court to formally recognize this relationship, even though it was never registered. The law says that a customary marriage’s validity is unaffected by its failure to be registered, as was made clear in the Supreme Court of Appeal case of Mbungela v. Mkabi (2019). According to Emunah, the marriage was lawful because lobola was paid and customs were followed.
Nonhlanhla Patience Mabuza’s second wife, Mnisi, is identified as the pension’s only beneficiary. Mnisi got a marriage certificate posthumously, which the petitioners contend is an improper legal tactic, and they are contesting this. Notwithstanding the deceased’s expressed desires, they argue that the trustees of the pension fund are legally required by Section 37C of the Pension Funds Act to divide the benefits equally among all legitimate dependents.
The demand for support made by Tamara Silinda gives the case an additional crucial dimension. She is financially vulnerable as a result of her father’s passing, according to her declaration. For her R40,000 monthly living expenses and R127,990 annual tuition, she is requesting an interim order. Written in Section 28(1)(c) of the Constitution, which ensures a child’s right to parental care, she grounds her claim on the idea that a parent’s responsibility of support endures beyond their death and can be enforced against their estate.
The Unraveling of a Legacy
Known as “The Cat” for his political acumen, David Dabede Mabuza left behind a complex political and personal legacy. He began his career as a modest teacher in 1960 and worked his way up to become a prominent member of the ANC, first as Premier of Mpumalanga and then as Deputy President of South Africa. His projected net worth of R50 million, which includes investments and real estate, is currently a major subject of contention among the family.
The court’s urgent hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, September 23, 2025, will be the first stage in a legal battle that might potentially cloud Mabuza’s legacy because Alexander Forbes has already disinvested the money for transfer to Momentum.
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