Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu has passed away at the age of 62. Mthembu succumbed to COVID-19 related complications on Thursday.
Messages of condolences
Messages of condolences have been pouring in for the late Minister in the Presidency.
Mthembu was pivotal in the fight against apartheid. He helped set up the structures of the African National Congress (ANC) after its unbanning in 1990.
Mvelase, as he was affectionately known, served as an ANC spokesperson from 1995 to 1997 when Nelson Mandela was at the helm. He later moved up the ranks, serving as Mpumalanga Transport MEC from 1997 to 1999.
Between 2016 and 2019 he served as the party’s Chief Whip in parliament.
And in 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him as a Minister in his cabinet.
Mthembu has been described as a revolutionary cadre who understood the importance of self-criticism and is always willing to admit if he made mistakes and self-correct.
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