Tribute

The African National Congress Veterans League mourn the passing of Cde Kaobitsa Abel “Bushy” Maape, who passed away peacefully on Saturday, 16 May 2026, in Johannesburg after a short illness. The former Premier of North West Province was 68 years old.

Cde Maape was a committed freedom fighter, ethical leader, and dedicated public servant whose life was defined by service to the people and the struggle for democracy.

Following the 1976 student uprisings, he left the country for political and military training with the ANC and later returned to establish and command underground structures in Mahikeng, Vryburg, Taung, Kuruman, and Kimberley.

At the same he was the principal of the Kuruman Middle School and part of establishing the United Democratic Front in these areas.

In February 1986, his convictions led to his imprisonment on Robben Island in the 1980s. While incarcerated, he pursued higher education, completing a BA in Psychology and Economics, and later honours degrees in Development Studies and Economics through the University of the Western Cape. He was one of the first six ANC prisoners released from Robben Island in 1990.

After 1994, Cde Maape served in senior government roles, including Chief Director for the Reconstruction and Development Programme and Planning in the Office of the Premier. He was recalled from retirement to help stabilise governance in the North West during the Section 100 intervention. He served as the seventh Premier of the North West Province from 7 September 2021 to 14 June 2024. During his tenure, he was credited with contributing to the lifting of the Section 100 intervention, relaunching the provincial bursary scheme, and launching the Thuntsha Lerole accelerated service delivery programme.

The ANC Veterans League describes him as a loyal servant of the liberation movement who served with discipline, humility, and unwavering commitment. His family remembers him as a loving, humble, and kind-hearted man whose presence brought warmth and strength to those around him.

We extend our deepest condolences to the Maape family, his comrades, friends, and the people of the North West and the Country. May his revolutionary soul rest in eternal peace.

Issued by Desmond Carolus, NW ANCVL and Snuki Zikalala, ANC VL President