Mapena was elected to the
KwaZulu-Natal Legislature on the ticket of the
African National Congress in the
2019 national and provincial elections. Having entered the provincial legislature, Mapena was appointed chairperson of the sports, arts and culture portfolio committee. In June 2021, Mapena was implicated in an estimated R140 000 fraudulent payment that resulted in the former head of eThekwini parks and recreation department, Thembinkosi Ngcobo, being fired. Mapena is also a member of the ANC provincial elective committee. Following the resignation of
Sihle Zikalala as the premier of
KwaZulu-Natal on 5 August 2022, Mapena was one of three candidates nominated by the ANC PEC to succeed Zikalala. The MEC for Finance,
Nomusa Dube-Ncube, was selected by the national executive committee of the ANC to replace Zikalala. On 11 August 2022, Mapena was appointed by premier Dube-Ncube as the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture. She resigned from office on 12 April 2023. ==Personal life==