Formerly a teacher and journalist, he served as KwaZulu-Natal's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and before that as Chief Whip in the legislature from 2004 to 2006.
[1][2] In November 2006, he was appointed to the KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council in a reshuffle by Premier S'bu Ndebele, who appointed him to succeed Gabriel Ndabandaba as MEC for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.
[3] Ahead of the 2009 general election, the Mail & Guardian said that he was one of several ANC politicians who were "believed to be on their way out" because they were perceived as political supporters of Thabo Mbeki, who was succeeded as President by Jacob Zuma.
[4] Mthimkhulu was nonetheless re-elected to his legislative seat, ranked 19th on the ANC's provincial party list,[5] although he left the Executive Council to become Deputy Speaker in the legislature; he was succeeded as MEC by Lydia Johnson.
[6] After the 2014 general election, he was succeeded as Deputy Speaker by Meshack Radebe,[7] but he was re-elected to his legislative seat as an ordinary Member of the Provincial Legislature, ranked eighth on the ANC's provincial party list.