She was formerly KwaZulu-Natal's Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation from November 2011 to May 2016, and before that she represented the ANC in the National Assembly from 2007 to 2011.
[2] Her father was Jimmy Mtolo, a regional leader of the South African National Civics Organisation who was assassinated in 2008.
[2] On 12 September 2007, Sibhidla-Saphetha was sworn in to the National Assembly, filling the casual vacancy created by Yusuf Bhamjee's resignation.
[3] She was elected to a full term in the assembly in the 2009 general election and held the seat until November 2011, when she was appointed to the KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council in a cabinet reshuffle by Premier Zweli Mkhize; she was sworn into the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature to take up office as MEC for Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation.
[7] After her dismissal from the Executive Council, Sibhidla-Saphetha remained an ordinary Member of the Provincial Legislature; she was re-elected to her legislative seat in the 2019 general election, ranked fifth on the ANC's party list.