305:(MEC) for Agriculture and Rural Development. Although Mthembu's appointment was viewed as an attempt to appease the SACP, the SACP was critical of the move, saying that it had not been consulted before the reshuffle was announced. Mthembu asked to be given 24 hours to consider the promotion, but ultimately, with the SACP's endorsement, accepted; he was sworn in as MEC on 8 June 2016, a day after the other new MECs.
316:, became a source of political tension, especially as the SACP grew increasingly critical of Zuma. In May 2018, Mthembu caused controversy by inviting Zuma to be his special guest during his budget vote speech in the provincial legislature; opposition legislators staged a walkout in protest of Zuma's presence. Mthembu's closeness with Zuma reportedly strained his relationship with
277:, he was re-elected to his legislative seat, ranked 32nd on the ANC's party list. Over the next two years, he was highly critical of the KwaZulu-Natal ANC, particularly in connection with an ongoing campaign to unseat
324:
in late 2017. It was also reported that
Mthembu was likely to face a serious challenge to his incumbency as SACP Provincial Secretary. However, when the SACP's next provincial elective conference was held in
785:
345:, Mthembu was re-elected to his seat in the provincial legislature, ranked 38th on the ANC's party list. However, he was not re-appointed to the Executive Council under newly elected Premier
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368:. Ahead of the SACP's next provincial elective conference in May 2022, Mthembu's re-election bid was not expected to face any significant opposition.
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for
Agriculture and Rural Development from June 2016 to May 2019. He has also served as Provincial Secretary of the
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241:, which he joined while working in the private sector as an engineering technician. He also became active in the
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273:. He left his private-sector job to take up the seat, which he held in parallel with his SACP office. In the
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217:). His mother was a domestic worker and his father was a dock worker. He went to school in
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in August 2018, he was re-elected unopposed, as was the incumbent
Provincial Chairperson
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512:"Themba Mthembu's Getting Harried Tonight: Surprise SACP pick weighs key KZN job offer"
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In 2002, Mthembu was elected
Provincial Secretary of the KwaZulu-Natal branch of the
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59:
Member of the KwaZulu-Natal
Executive Council for Agriculture and Rural Development
786:"KZN SACP leaders set to retain positions uncontested during weekend's conference"
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When Mchunu was finally removed as
Premier in May 2016, he was replaced by
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626:"I've got no beef with Blade' says SACP KZN head Themba Mthembu"
177:(born 1958) is a South African politician who represented the
400:
KwaZulu-Natal
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
849:
308:
While
Mthembu was serving as MEC, his ongoing support for
595:"KZN SACP's Themba Mthembu sworn in as agriculture MEC"
239:
National
Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union
760:"Mthembu elected deputy speaker of KZN legislature"
354:
Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal
Provincial Legislature
733:"Premier Sihle Zikalala announces his KZN cabinet"
336:
41:Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature
1447:
288:
681:"SACP KZN to hold fiercely contested congress"
835:
1486:Members of the South African Communist Party
569:"Themba Mthembu can serve as MEC – SACP KZN"
842:
828:
707:"SACP makes a bid to refocus on its roots"
655:"Zuma's SACP buddy is in the firing line"
1471:Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
352:In November 2020, he was elected Deputy
233:youth politics. He became active in the
200:
757:
509:
265:, he was elected to an ANC seat in the
245:(ANC) after it was unbanned in 1990.
1466:21st-century South African politicians
1448:
783:
538:
269:, ranked 33rd on the ANC's provincial
185:from 2009 until 2024. He was formerly
1461:African National Congress politicians
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758:Mtshali, Samkelo (27 November 2020).
649:
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454:"KwaZulu-Natal MPLs elected April 22"
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541:"4 MECs gone in KZN cabinet 'purge'"
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267:KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature
229:; while a student, he was active in
183:KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature
393:"Profile of Richard Themba Mthembu"
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227:Mangosuthu University of Technology
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1481:People from Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal
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53:6 May 2009 – 28 May 2024
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337:Presiding officer: 2019–present
303:Member of the Executive Council
299:KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council
197:in KwaZulu-Natal since 2002.
191:Member of the Executive Council
71:8 June 2016 – May 2019
587:
510:Madlala, Cyril (6 June 2016).
446:
1:
784:Mavuso, Sihle (18 May 2022).
539:Harper, Paddy (6 June 2016).
371:
255:South African Communist Party
195:South African Communist Party
163:South African Communist Party
289:Executive Council: 2016–2019
205:Mthembu was born in 1958 in
7:
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900:Leader of the Opposition:
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1300:Economic Freedom Fighters
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855:KwaZulu-Natal Legislature
814:Mr Richard Themba Mthembu
314:President of South Africa
243:African National Congress
179:African National Congress
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151:African National Congress
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109:
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39:
35:
23:
773:– via Pressreader.
483:"Richard Themba Mthembu"
356:, serving under Speaker
283:Premier of KwaZulu-Natal
221:and then qualified as a
16:South African politician
711:The Mail & Guardian
659:The Mail & Guardian
175:Richard Themba Mthembu
343:2019 general election
275:2014 general election
263:2009 general election
201:Early life and career
141:Union of South Africa
816:at People's Assembly
235:trade union movement
223:chemical engineering
902:Velenkosini Hlabisa
104:Bongi Sithole-Moloi
1113:Swartbooi-Ntombela
261:. Pursuant to the
225:technician at the
1443:
1442:
1435:Party leaders in
1088:Sibhidla-Saphetha
895:Nomusa Dube-Ncube
487:People's Assembly
429:"Hon. RT Mthembu"
172:
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886:Deputy Speaker:
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713:. 31 August 2018
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687:. 23 August 2018
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632:. 29 August 2018
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259:ANC's close ally
249:Political career
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114:Personal details
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998:Hlongwa-Madlala
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867:6th Legislature
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460:. 29 April 2009
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808:External links
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661:. 27 July 2018
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516:Daily Maverick
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347:Sihle Zikalala
338:
335:
322:Zuma's cabinet
318:Blade Nzimande
295:Willies Mchunu
290:
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231:anti-apartheid
215:Natal province
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25:Themba Mthembu
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877:Ntobeko Boyce
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739:. 27 May 2019
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686:
682:
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660:
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621:
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601:. 8 June 2016
600:
596:
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575:. 7 June 2016
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366:Siboniso Duma
363:
362:Mluleki Ndobe
359:
358:Ntobeko Boyce
355:
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331:James Nxumalo
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130:(age 66)
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1038:Mabatha-Cele
925:
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793:. Retrieved
789:
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767:. Retrieved
763:
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741:. Retrieved
736:
727:
715:. Retrieved
710:
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689:. Retrieved
684:
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663:. Retrieved
658:
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630:Sunday Times
629:
603:. Retrieved
598:
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572:
548:. Retrieved
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519:. Retrieved
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490:. Retrieved
486:
462:. Retrieved
457:
448:
436:. Retrieved
432:
404:. Retrieved
399:
351:
340:
307:
292:
279:Senzo Mchunu
257:(SACP), the
252:
237:through the
204:
174:
173:
159:affiliations
99:Succeeded by
66:
48:
18:
1476:1958 births
870:(2019–2024)
769:11 December
764:The Mercury
573:Politicsweb
458:Politicsweb
87:Preceded by
1450:Categories
1326:Mpayipheli
927:Dube-Ncube
795:25 January
717:25 January
691:25 January
665:25 January
636:25 January
605:25 January
579:25 January
545:City Press
521:25 January
492:25 January
464:1 February
438:25 January
406:26 January
372:References
310:Jacob Zuma
271:party list
92:Cyril Xaba
1219:Nkwanyana
1164:Buthelezi
1028:Mavimbela
893:Premier:
875:Speaker:
743:8 January
550:8 January
67:In office
49:In office
1403:Phakathi
1331:Mthethwa
1321:Harricks
1214:Mthethwa
1209:Msimango
1199:Mazibuko
1174:Govender
1169:De Klerk
1078:Ntombela
1068:Nkonyeni
1053:Mthethwa
1008:Madlopha
983:Govender
219:KwaMashu
1437:italics
1424:Manqele
1336:Mtshali
1316:Dlamini
1250:De Boer
1239:Rodgers
1204:Moodley
1189:Khawula
1158:Hlabisa
1108:Sonjica
1083:Nxumalo
1063:Ngubane
1058:Mtshali
1048:Mthembu
1043:Mshengu
1013:Mahlaba
993:Hlomuka
963:Dlamini
953:Chiliza
853:of the
851:Members
341:In the
327:Pongola
181:in the
124: (
76:Premier
1361:Shinga
1255:Hoosen
1245:Baptie
1194:Kunene
1179:Gumede
1128:P Zulu
1123:M Zulu
1093:Sibiya
1033:Mavuso
1023:Mapena
1018:Majola
988:Gumede
978:Frazer
948:Z Cele
943:N Cele
938:Caluza
737:News24
599:News24
402:. 2016
213:(then
207:Inanda
133:Inanda
1310:Twala
1290:Tembe
1285:Singh
1275:Ngema
1265:Meyer
1260:Keeka
1184:Gwala
1138:Zungu
1073:Nkosi
1003:Khoza
958:Dirks
933:Boyce
897:(ANC)
890:(ANC)
396:(PDF)
137:Natal
1414:ACDP
1341:Seja
1280:Rabe
1270:Nair
1231:(11)
1150:(13)
1133:Zuma
1118:Xulu
973:Duma
968:Dube
919:(44)
797:2023
771:2020
745:2023
719:2023
693:2023
667:2023
638:2023
607:2023
581:2023
552:2023
523:2023
494:2023
466:2023
440:2023
408:2023
126:1958
122:1958
119:Born
1416:(1)
1395:(1)
1393:ATM
1374:(1)
1353:(1)
1351:NFP
1302:(9)
1148:IFP
917:ANC
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881:ANC
790:IOL
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301:as
281:as
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