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Mr David Mahlobo was born on the 14th of January 1972 in KwaNdwalaza Royal Kraal, Berglaas in Piet Retief, Transvaal (now Mpumalanga).
At the height of apartheid in 1981, he and his sisters fled to Swaziland due to forced removals and they were separated from their parents. They would spend the earlier years of their lives outside the country of their birth and the brutality of apartheid caused disruption to their educational aspirations.
In 1983, the young Mahlobo siblings returned to South Africa and reunited with their mother. He resumed schooling and completed his Joint Matriculation Board Certificate (Grade 12) in 1991 at Bambanani High School. He later enrolled with the University of Zululand (Ongoye campus) where he obtained a Bachelor of Science (Bsc.) Degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry in 1998. The following year in 1999, he obtained his Bachelor of Science Honours (Bsc. Honours) Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Zululand.
He obtained additional certificates in Water Quality Management Course II: Management Aspects. Mr Mahlobo would later complete course on Performance Budgeting and Financial Management Course as well as Targeted Recruitment and Selection at Deloitte Human Capital.
He worked as an Educator in Bambanani High School, responsible for Biology and Physical Science for Grade 10 and 11 learners. He later worked in Lalela Finishing School, teaching Physical Science and Biology for Grade 12.
Mr Mahlobo cut his teeth in the water sector when he joined the then Department of Water and Forestry, Mpumalanga province, in the Water Quality Division, responsible for the Upper Olifants River Catchment with respect to Water Use Control at mines, municipalities and industries; Water Resource Management Protection and Impact Management, Water Quality Management and Water Quality Communication.
He was later promoted to be an Assistant Director: Transformation (later renamed External Transformation) and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Director and Director in the same Unit at the Department of Water and Forestry.
In 2009, he was appointed as the Head of Department (HOD) for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs by Mpumalanga Provincial Government for a period of three years which was further renewed in 2012. He resigned as HOD for COGTA in 2014 when he became ANC Parliamentary Candidate.
Since then he has served in the following capacities:
- Member of the National Assembly (Parliament of the Republic of South Africa) from May 2014 – May 2019
- Minister of State Security from May 2014 to October 2017
- Minister of Energy from October 2017 to February 2018
- Member of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry from March 2018 to May 2019
- Re-elected as a Member of the National Assembly since May 2019 to date
- Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation from May to date
After the unbanning of the ANC, he was part of the ANC volunteers responsible for recruiting and mobilising the farming communities to join ANC around Piet Retief and Pongola and relaunching of ANC structures.
- Involved in ANC structures in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces
- Involved in the South African Student Congress (SASCO), ANC Youth League and National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU).
- He was SASCO Deputy Provincial Chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal.
- He became KwaZulu-Natal provincial Chairperson for South African Union of SRC (SAU SRC).
- SRC Secretary-General at the University of Zululand (two terms)
- SRC member for Faculty of Science
- NEC member of the ANC from December 2012 to December 2017
- ANC National Working Committee member from May 2014 to December 2017
- ANC NEC Sub-Committee on Organising and Campaigns
- NEC Sub-Committee member on Peace and Stability
- NEC deployee for Gauteng and later Free State
- NEC Convenor of Deployees in Free State
- Member of University of Zululand Council for ten years
- Chairperson of Council Audit Committee for two terms
He currently serves in the following structures:
- ANC NEC member 2017 to date
- NEC Sub-Committee member on Peace and Stability
- NEC Sub-Committee member on Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation
- NEC Sub-Committee member on Economic Transformation
- NEC deployee to Free State province
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