Former state security minister Ayanda Dlodlo is to be named as South Africa’s ambassador-designate to France by President Cyril Ramaphosa.She will succeed Nathi Mthethwa, who died in September 2025 after serving as ambassador since 2024.Dlodlo and the presidency confirmed the decision on Monday. Dlodlo was appointed public service & administration minister in Ramaphosa’s first cabinet in 2018, before becoming state security minister in his second cabinet after his full-term inauguration in 2019. She held the security portfolio during South Africa’s July 2021 civil unrest, a period that triggered intense political scrutiny over intelligence failures, and has said she felt unfairly scapegoated for the crisis. Dlodlo resigned from the cabinet and the National Assembly in April 2022 to take up a position as an executive director on the World Bank’s board with special responsibility for a constituency covering Angola, Nigeria and South Africa. Former state security minister, Ayanda Dlodlo is expected to be named as South Africa’s new ambassador to France. She recently served as the Executive Director for Angola, Nigeria, and South Africa at the World Bank Group. Dlodlo’s appointment in France comes after the… pic.twitter.com/sarc7gtoPV— Thando Maeko (@HelloThando) July 6, 2026