Mbangiseni David Mahlobo (born 14 January 1972) is a South African politician who has served as the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation since August 2021.
Although he was born in Mpumalanga, Mahlobo was primarily educated in KwaZulu-Natal, where he rose to political prominence as a student activist in the early post-apartheid period.
In the latter capacity, he became reputed as an ally of Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza, whom some credited for subsequent Mahlobo's political rise.
Mahlobo was born on 14 January 1972 on Bergplaas farm in KwaNdalaza near Piet Retief in the former Eastern Transvaal, now part of Mpumalanga Province.
[1] His father was Chief Mandlenkosi Mahlobo, a KwaNdwalaza traditional leader with land in the region straddling the Mpumalanga–KwaZulu-Natal border, who was subject to persecution and forced removal by the apartheid government.
[2][6] Opposition politician Collen Sedibe, who worked in Mahlobo's department, later alleged that he had used his position to organize patronage for Mabuza among the province's municipal managers.
[7] Observers attributed his sudden political ascent to his closeness to Mabuza or to his longstanding relationship with President Jacob Zuma, whom he had met as a student activist in KwaZulu-Natal.
[6] He was an active member of the National Executive Committee in the two years after his election; his responsibilities included liaising with the task team that led the ANC Youth League in the aftermath of Julius Malema's expulsion.
[6] The Mail & Guardian argued that Mahlobo was "an easy target for manipulation" because of his "youth and ignorance of spycraft", as well as his "lack of a serious constituency in the ANC".
[12] And by September 2017, Ferial Haffajee reported that Mahlobo had become so close to Zuma – even accompanying him on international trips – as to be "his confidante and right-hand man" and even his "de facto prime minister".
[16][17] Indeed, in subsequent years, the Zondo Commission heard evidence that Mahlobo had personally been involved in a plot to funnel cash to Zuma and his associates through the SSA.
[22][23] Describing Mahlobo as "a hyper-Zuma loyalist", Steven Friedman told Al Jazeera that, "It seems he has been moved into this position to push through the nuclear deal.
Announcing his new cabinet on 26 February, Ramaphosa sacked Mahlobo, appointing Jeff Radebe to replace him as Minister of Energy; the move was part of a broader displacement of Zuma's political allies.