Mbombo, previously an
African National Congress supporter, joined the DA in 2013, after attending a DA meeting for black professionals. Mbombo was elected to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament in the 8 May 2014 election and was sworn in as a Member on 21 May 2014. She represents the
Philippi region of the
City of Cape Town. Premier
Helen Zille appointed Mbombo to the post of Western Cape Provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport. She was sworn in as Provincial Minister on 26 May 2014. In December 2014, Premier Zille announced that
Theuns Botha and Mbombo would exchange ministerial positions. Mbombo would become Western Cape Provincial Minister of Health, while Botha would take her position. The changes came into effect on 1 January 2015. In 2018, incumbent Democratic Alliance Women's Network Federal Leader
Denise Robinson announced that she would not seek re-election to another term. Mbombo subsequently declared her candidacy and was elected at the party's Federal Congress on 7 April 2018. In May 2019, newly elected premier
Alan Winde announced that he had retained Mbombo in her post as Provincial Minister of Health. In October 2019, she declared her candidacy for interim Federal Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance following
Athol Trollip's resignation. She lost to
Ivan Meyer. In December 2020, Mbombo was criticised for posting on
Facebook that she was on holiday in
Limpopo, amid the second wave of
COVID-19 infections in the Western Cape. She said that it was a "well-deserved, long overdue break". On 28 April 2021, Mbombo resigned as the Federal Leader of the DA's Women's Network. Her resignation came after
Bonginkosi Madikizela resigned as DA provincial leader and the Provincial Minister of Transport and Public Works. In February 2023, Mbombo was officially named the Patron of the University of Cape Town's Global Surgery Programme, which was established to help create an environment that will empower leaders in their respective fields to be change agents in the health sector. Later in 2023, Mbombo was one of the candidates awarded in "The Governing Woman" category in the Mail and Guardian's annual Power of Women award ceremony. This award acknowledges her contribution and leadership in the public sector as Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness. After the DA retained control of the Western Cape in the
2024 provincial election, Winde sacked her as Provincial Minister of Health. ==Personal life==