Panicum

by | Mar 14, 2018 | Panicum

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Jackson Mphikwa Mthembu (5 June 1958 – 21 January 2021) was a South African politician who served as Minister in the Presidency of South Africa's government, and as a parliamentarian for the African National Congress (ANC). Previously, he served as the Whip of Parliament for the ruling ANC as well as the national spokesperson for the ANC.[1]

Early life

Mthembu was born in Witbank[2] on 5 June 1958. His mother was Nantoni Mthembu.[3]

Political career

Mthembu served as the MEC for Transport in Mpumalanga from 1997 to 1999, during which he was criticized for spending R2.3 million on ten BMWs.[4][5]

Mthembu was elected to National Assembly of South Africa in 2014 where he served till his death in 2021.

On 28 November 2017, some of Mthembu's ANC colleagues criticised him for "colluding" with the DA to schedule a debate on state capture in Parliament in defiance of President Jacob Zuma and his colleagues in the ANC caucus who had already called for a more inclusive process to investigate state capture.[6]

Personal life and death

Mthembu was married to Thembi Mthembu. He had six children. His daughter, 25-year-old Nokhwezi Mthembu, committed suicide on 20 March 2019, at their Pelican Park parliamentary village home in Cape Town.[7][8]

In 2014, Mthembu was shot in the cheek while using an Absa ATM on Mandela Street in the Witbank CBD. The armed man and his accomplices proceeded to Mthembu's car, where four of his friends were waiting for him, and robbed them of their money and cellphones.[9]

Mthembu died from complications of COVID-19 on 21 January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.[10] A medical helicopter transporting one of his doctors crashed the same day, killing all five on board.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ANC names new national spokesperson". news24. 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Jackson Mthembu". South African Government. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Mabuza speaks land expropriation at Gogo Nantoni's funeral". 013News. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  4. ^ Lodge, Tom (2003). Politics in South Africa: From Mandela to Mbeki (2nd ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-0-253-21587-1.
  5. ^ Heidenheimer, Arnold J. (2002). Political Corruption: Concepts and Contexts (3rd ed.). Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. p. 420. ISBN 978-0-7658-0761-8.
  6. ^ "Mthembu slams ANC MPs' accusations that he 'colluded' with DA in state capture motion". News24. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  7. ^ Jackson Mthembu shares pain of finding daughter's body, IOL, 30 March 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020
  8. ^ Jackson Mthembu tweets that daughter committed suicide, IOL, 20 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2020
  9. ^ "ANC's Mthembu shot during armed robbery". MG. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Minister Jackson Mthembu dies of Covid-related complications". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  11. ^ Bhengu, Lwandile (22 January 2021). "Doctor who died in the KZN chopper crash had tried to save Jackson Mthembu's life that same day". News24. Retrieved 27 January 2021.

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