Covid-19 just won’t let up. Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, died of Covid-related complications on Thursday, the Presidency confirmed. Mthembu was vital to the government’s Covid communications efforts and was the face of the government during press conferences and live television addresses, patiently fielding questions from journalists. He served as the ANC’s chief whip in Parliament too and was the party’s national spokesperson. Mthembu was not only a seasoned communications professional, a calm and well-informed voice for the government, but a fundamentally decent human being too. RIP.

This brief was originally published in The Wrap here.

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