She joined the National Assembly in the April 2009 general election and spent five years as a backbencher before she was appointed as Minister of Communications in Zuma's second-term cabinet.
[9] In April 2008, members of the South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) held a protest demanding Muthambi's immediate suspension; the union accused her of nepotism and corruption, among other things in a municipal construction tender awarded to the company of Stanley Radzilani, who allegedly had a close friendship with Muthambi and who was allegedly overpaid for shoddy work.
[13] Later that year, she sued SAMWU and two local newspapers, the Limpopo Mirror and Zoutbansberger, alleging that they had defamed her in connection with the saga; her suit was dismissed.
[3] She later joined the Provincial Executive Committee of the mainstream ANC in Limpopo, and she also served a stint as chairperson of the Black Management Forum's branch in Thohoyandou.
[2] At the very end of the parliamentary term, she was one of seven ANC representatives nominated to serve on the ad hoc committee tasked with devising Parliament's response to the Nkandla scandal.
[15] After the election, President Jacob Zuma appointed her to his second-term cabinet, where she succeeded Yunus Carrim as Minister of Communications, a newly reconfigured portfolio.
[18][19] Within several months of her appointment, Zuma transferred various communication functions to the Ministry in the Presidency under Jeff Radebe, a move interpreted by the Mail & Guardian as meaning that Muthambi had been "tacitly demoted".
Among other things, in July 2014, shortly after her appointment, Muthambi emailed Ashu Chawla, Gupta's business associate, a copy of a memo from Telecommunications and Postal Service Minister Siyabonga Cwele.
The memo raised Cwele's concerns about proposed amendments to digital migration policy, and, according to the text of Muthambi's email, "Despite my request, the cde is determined to table the matter in cabinet tomorrow".
[29] In response to the leaks, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse laid charges of high treason and corruption against Muthambi for unauthorised circulation of confidential cabinet documents.
[31] In the aftermath, Phumzile van Damme of the opposition Democratic Alliance said that the party had laid criminal charges against Muthambi for contravention of the Broadcasting Act, which established the SABC's independence.
[34] In the final report of the commission, chairperson Raymond Zondo recommended that Muthambi should be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for contravening the Constitution, her oath of office, and the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act.
[35] According to Zondo, Muthambi – with the sanction of Zuma and with the assistance of Hlaudi Motsoeneng – had supported a campaign by the Gupta family to gain undue influence in the communications sector.
"[35] In the early hours of 31 March 2017, Zuma announced a major cabinet reshuffle in which Muthambi replaced Ngoako Ramatlhodi as Minister of Public Service and Administration.
[37] In early February 2018, the Public Service Commission said that it would investigate the Democratic Alliance's allegation that Muthambi had abused her powers by hiring an over-inflated private office that included her own friends and family.