South Africa is mourning the death of its High Commissioner to Kenya, Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu, who died after a short illness while being rushed to hospital in Pretoria.
Confirming the envoy’s passing, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, described Mahlangu as a patriot, a family man, and a servant of the people whose death has left the country in grief.
“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,” Lamola said in a statement.
Fondly known as “MJ,” Mahlangu had been serving as South Africa’s High Commissioner to Kenya, while also accredited as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Somalia and representative at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON).
His diplomatic service extended beyond the region, having previously served as South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States of America.
Born on October 8, 1952, in Middleburg, Mpumalanga, Mahlangu began his public service as a student activist during the liberation struggle before transitioning into politics. He was part of the team that drafted South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution.
In 1994, he was elected to South Africa’s first democratic parliament and later served in the National Council of Provinces as both Deputy Chairperson and later as Chairperson.
During his posting in Nairobi, Mahlangu worked to strengthen bilateral ties between Kenya and South Africa and played a key role in enhancing regional cooperation in East Africa.
The South African government paid tribute to his decades of leadership, noting that his legacy goes beyond diplomacy, extending to the shaping of South Africa’s democratic foundation.
