Thembeka Mchunu is running for the African National Congress Women's League presidency.
Thembeka Mchunu (born 31 January 1968) is a South African politician serving as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa. She is the wife of Senzo Mchunu.
From 2011 to 2016, she was the Executive Mayor of the Uthungulu District Municipality. She is a member of the African National Congress (ANC).
Early Life
| Thembeka Mchunu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Full Name: | Thembeka Vuyisile Buyisile Mchunu |
| Born: | 31 January 1968 (age 55 years old), Ixopo, Natal Province |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Parents: | Joshua (father), Thenjiwe (mother) |
| Relation: | Thabo Mofokeng |
| Education: | Education (Diploma) |
| Alma mater: | Umbumbulu College of Education |
| Spouse: | Senzo Mchunu (m. 1990) |
| Children: | Zinhle, Mathuthu, Jama, Phakade |
| Occupation: | Educator, Politician |
| Political Party: | African National Congress |
| Office: | Member of the National Assembly |
Thembeka Mchunu was born on 31 January 1968 in Ixopo, Carisbrooke. Her father, Joshua, and mother, Thenjiwe, divorced when she was five. She and her brother had to live with her paternal grandmother.
Her brother, Thabo Mofokeng, served as the spokesperson of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. When she got to grade 8, she moved to live with her mother in Pietermaritzburg.
Education
Mchunu attended Carisbrooke Primary School in Ixopo. She schooled at Laduma High School in Pietermaritzburg. Due to her family’s financial situation, she did not finish her studies at the college. However, she later received a bursary.
In 1985, Thembeka matriculated from St Augustine’s. She holds a diploma in education from the Umbumbulu College of Education. In 1990, she got a job as a teacher in Zululand.
Career
From 1990 to 2006, she taught at many schools in Zululand. Mchunu wanted to be a social worker, a lawyer, or a librarian. She served as an African National Congress councilor in the Uthungulu District Municipality in 2006.
After the 2011 election, she became the mayor of the district municipality. She was the regional secretary for the African National Congress Women’s League.
Her husband became the premier, making her the First Lady of KwaZulu-Natal, in 2013. She refused to resign as mayor despite requests from opposition parties.
After pressure from the ANC, her husband resigned as premier in 2016, and she then lost the title of First Lady. Mchunu won a seat in the National Assembly in the 2019 general elections.
Positions
- Member at National Assembly in May 2019
- Member of Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, National Assembly Committees in June 2019.
- Member of African National Congress.
- 4th Candidate at African National Congress Regional KwaZulu-Natal Election List 2019.
Personal Life
Thembeka Mchunu and Senzo married in July 1990. The couple met when she was sixteen. Her husband serves as Minister of Water and Sanitation.
Senzo liked to speak about politics and recommended her books to read. Their relationship grew from friendship into a romantic one.
The duo dated for about five years before getting married. They had a child, but he passed away. The couple has four children, her eldest daughter Zinhle, Mathuthu, Jama, and Phakade. Mchunu is also a grandmother.
Contact Details
To contact Thembeka Mchunu, a Member of the National Assembly, use any of these contact options provided.
- 082 861 4562
- tmchunu@parliament.gov.za
- tvbmch777@gmail.com
- mchunu.thembeka777@gmail.com