It is with great sadness that Minister Enoch Godongwana confirms the tragic and untimely passing of Mr Percy Mthimkhulu, who served as his Chief of Staff in the Ministry of Finance since August 2021. Mthimkhulu died peacefully in his sleep. Minister Godongwana offers his condolences, and those of the Ministry and the National Treasury, to the Mthimkhulu family.

As an undergraduate Mr Mthimkhulu, warmly known as “Lenin” to his friends, took an active role in student politics, eventually rising to the position of Deputy Chairperson of South African Students Congress (SASCO) in 1995 in the then Southern Transvaal Region. 

Together with a sharp turn of phrase, he had a particular interest in financial matters and the transformation of the economy, gaining a BComm bachelor’s and honours degrees before qualifying with an MPhil in Development Finance from the University of Stellenbosch Business School in 2022.

He pursued his passion for economics, media studies and politics throughout his life right up to the highest levels. 

Mr Mthimkhulu began his professional career at the Financial Mail and BusinessDay in 1998, first as a graduate trainee and then full time writer, honing his understanding and analysis of the South African media and economic landscape and eventually being appointed as a senior editor, before switching to a career in the public service in 2002, first as the speech writer in the Office of the Premier in the North West Provincial Government, and then as Media Liaison in the Gauteng Department of Finance and Economic Affairs. Between 2008 and 2009 he served as the spokesperson for the Premier of Gauteng. From 2010 to 2013, he was a media liaison in the Department of Arts and Culture. In 2014, he was appointed chief speech writer for the Gauteng Premier, up until 2019. In August 2021, he joined the Ministry of Finance as chief of staff. 

Politics and the desire to see the country’s economy transformed for the benefit of all South Africans never left his blood. He was a member of the technical team supporting the governing African National Congress’s (ANC) National Executive Committee subcommittee on Economic Transformation. Mr Mthimkhulu was part of the team that wrote the ANC’s COVID-19 Economic Reconstruction Document, the South African Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan and the South African Tourism Recovery Plan.

As a proud South African, he never hid from his responsibility nor turned his back on the needs of our people. Mr Mthimkhulu has been a key part of the brains trust in the Ministry of Finance and National Treasury during very difficult economic times. 

May his soul rest in peace and his memory live long. Hamba Kahle Mthimkhulu.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Treasury, Republic of South Africa.