Mthembu, a member of the provincial executive council of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal left his role as mayor of KwaDukuza Municipality after the May 8 elections and appointed spokesman for the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal.

He had occupied the mayoral position for eight years, and was deployed to serve as a member of the provincial legislature. This despite many thinking he would get an MEC position.

However, he said that not being deployed as an MEC was a decision of the ANC that he could not question because it is the party that knows best where to deploy its own members in positions of leadership. 

He was also the ANC provincial spokesperson and a member of both the party's Provincial Executive Committee and Provincial Working Committee.