South African High Commissioner to Kenya, Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu, has died after a short illness while being rushed to hospital in South Africa.
In a statement, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, described the envoy as a dedicated family man and public servant whose passing has left the country in mourning.
“Ambassador Mahlangu was a true patriot whose love for our country shone through in the manner in which he went about executing our foreign policy,” the Minister noted.
Mahlangu had been serving as South Africa’s High Commissioner to Kenya and also held accreditation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Somalia, while representing his country at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON).
His diplomatic service extended beyond the region, having previously been South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States of America.
Fondly known as “MJ,” Mahlangu was born on October 8, 1952, in Middleburg, Mpumalanga.
His life in public service began in the struggle years as a student activist before transitioning into politics, where he played a role in drafting South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution.
He became a member of the Constitutional Assembly tasked with drafting South Africa’s Constitution, chairing the Core Group of the Theme Committee, and the Theme Committee on Structures of Government.
During his tenure in Parliament, Mahlangu also served as Chairperson of Committees. In 2002, he was elected permanent Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and, following the 2004 elections, was re-elected to the position before being elected Chairperson of the NCOP in January 2005.
He was elected to South Africa’s first democratic parliament in 1994 and went on to serve in the National Council of Provinces, first as Deputy Chairperson and later as Chairperson.
As a career diplomat, Mahlangu was instrumental in building ties between South Africa and Kenya and in strengthening regional relations in East Africa.
The South African government paid tribute to his decades of service, noting that his contributions went beyond diplomacy to shaping the democratic foundation of the country.
