From ANC youth leader to Ambassador: The political journey of Nkosinathi Mthethwa

LK

Lebogang Le Kay

30 September 2025 | 13:49

In 2008, under former President Kgalema Motlanthe, Mthethwa was appointed Minister of Safety and Security, which eventually led to his appointment as Minister of Police.

From ANC youth leader to Ambassador: The political journey of Nkosinathi Mthethwa

Nathi Mthethwa. Photo: GCIS

Born in KwaZulu-Natal, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa launched his political career in his local youth organization in Klaarwater at the age of 15, serving as chairperson in 1982.
He was later recruited into underground work for the ANC between 1988 and 1989, which led to his arrest during the apartheid regime’s state of emergency.
From 1990 to 1992, Mthethwa served as Regional Secretary of the ANC Youth League and later rose through the ranks of the party between 2001 and 2002.
In 2008, under former President Kgalema Motlanthe, Mthethwa was appointed Minister of Safety and Security, which eventually led to his appointment as Minister of Police.
After nearly a decade as Minister of Arts and Culture - a tenure marked by controversy over his planned procurement of a R22 million flag - Mthethwa was appointed South Africa’s Ambassador to France in 2024.
He passed away there under uncertain circumstances.
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