In the
2019 general election, she was elected to a seat in the
Gauteng Provincial Legislature, ranked 22nd on the ANC's provincial
party list. The ANC, the majority party in the legislature, nominated her for the office of Deputy
Speaker of the provincial legislature, serving under Speaker
Ntombi Mekgwe. She was accused of assaulting Sergeant Lizzy Mojapelo, a protection officer with the
South African Police Service, in February 2020. Mojapelo alleged that she had been at Mhlakaza-Manamela's home when Mhlakaza-Manamela attacked her while drunk; Mojapelo was pregnant at the time. Mhlakaza-Manamela first appeared in the
Johannesburg Magistrate's Court in August 2022. Following the
2024 provincial election, Mhlakaza-Manamela was succeeded by the
DA's
Refiloe Nt'sekhe as Deputy Speaker. Mhlakaza-Manamela was re-elected as Deputy Speaker after Nt'sekhe's resignation following the DA's withdrawal from provincial government talks. == References ==