Thembi Mthembu, widow of ANC politician Jackson Mthembu, succumbs to illness

Thembi Mthembu, the widow of former minister in the presidency Jackson Mthembu, has died in a Pretoria hospital.

A family member, Buyi Mthembu, confirmed her passing but said further details cannot be divulged at the moment as the family is still to meet.

 The cause of death is unclear but TimesLIVE understands she had not been well for the past couple of weeks.

Mthembu died in January last year of Covid-related complications at the age of 62. He was laid to rest at his hometown of Emalahleni in Mpumalanga.

His late wife had worked as a nurse at a local clinic. 

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) in Mpumalanga said Thembi died in the early hours of Thursday.

She had served the nursing profession with “great dedication and selfless care”, working at clinics in Mpumalanga and recently in Tshwane, said Denosa.

“Not only is her loss a blow to the Mthembu family, but it is a serious setback to the nursing profession, particularly in the primary healthcare services area where she was a key role player.

“She has left her mark in the nursing profession and has had a great and positive impact on the health outcomes of the communities in Mbombela, Kangala district and recently in Tshwane district, where she was working at a clinic at the time of her passing.”

TimesLIVE

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