Former North West premier Bushy Maape has died, marking the end of a life dedicated to the liberation struggle, education and public service.
Maape, who served as premier of the North West province between 2021 and 2024, passed away on Saturday night at Life Brenthurst Hospital in Parktown, Johannesburg. His death was confirmed by both his family and the ANC in a statement released on Sunday.
The veteran politician suffered a stroke during his time as premier, a health setback that eventually cut short his tenure as leader of the province.
Born in Vryburg, Maape earned recognition as a committed anti-apartheid activist. He was an active member of the United Democratic Front and later became commander of Kgalagadi Machinery, an underground ANC structure formed to resist apartheid rule.
His role in the liberation struggle led to his arrest in the 1980s. The apartheid government sentenced him to 10 years in prison, and he served part of his sentence on Robben Island.
Despite the harsh prison conditions, Maape pursued his studies and completed a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and economics through the University of South Africa while incarcerated. He later obtained honours degrees in developmental studies and economics from the University of the Western Cape. At the time of his death, he was studying towards a master’s degree in governance at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Before entering government leadership, Maape worked as principal of Kuruman Middle School. He was recruited into the ANC underground structures while studying teaching at Hebron Training College.
Speaking on behalf of the family, his brother Neo Maape described his death as a devastating loss.
