Meet Dr. Mpho Phalatse-Nxumalo

Dr Mpho Phalatse-Nxumalo is a born-again Medical Doctor, Entrepreneur, Politician and Senior Pastor together with her husband Apostle Reginald Nxumalo at Jubilee Global Ministries. Born at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, she was raised in Mabopane in Tshwane. Her parents served as elders in the Lutheran Church where she was a soloist for the Children’s Church and later got confirmed. In 1997 she gave her life to the Lord and started her born-again journey. She was a Pastor to a Church Youth Group and later Senior Pastor, during her years in Medical School. She also holds a Certificate in Ministry with Team Impact Christian University. In 2008 she established her entity ML Solutions, which held Medical Consulting contracts with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Gauteng and in the Northwest Province, to assess applicants’ eligibility for Disability Grants and Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grants, amongst others. Her encounter with abject poverty while servicing these contracts led her to pursue a career in Public Health Medicine. Her study area of interest was Intersectoral Collaboration to resolve complex societal challenges. Her subsequent service as a Casualty Officer at Alexandra Community Health Centre further exposed her to the shocking lived realities of residents of poverty-stricken Alexandra. In response, she went on to serve God on the Mountain of Government where she was appointed Member of Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development. She was later elected the first female Executive Mayor of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. In these roles she led various poverty alleviation initiatives including Food Resilience through Subsistence Backyard Farming, Communal Farming at Illegal Dumping Sites, Parks, Clinics, Schools etc., as well as Commercial Farming at the City’s Food Empowerment Zones. She led the extension of the City’s Urban Agriculture offering to include Rooftop Farming, Aquaponic Farming as well as Agroprocessing, attracting a diverse pool of prospective commercial farmers. In collaboration with the Joburg Market, she championed access to markets for Commercial Farmers, while she lobbied for the City’s Opportunity Centres to tailor-make Enterprise Development Programs with a focus on Urban Agriculture. She led the expansion of the City’s programs to underserved areas, including through the establishment of Homeless Shelters and Mobile Clinic Services. She further led the review of the City’s Expanded Social Package Policy – a policy that provides material support to residents living below the poverty line – to address gaps and accommodate the vulnerable, aspirant middle class. She is currently focusing on Kingdom-building projects whilst preparing for her return to the political stage. She is a mother to 2 sons, 21 and 15 years old, and an 8-year-old daughter.

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