UThenjiwe Mtintso wazalwa mhla ziyisikhombisa kuLwezi ngonyaka ka 1950 elokishini lase Soweto eGoli , lapho akhulela khona. Umama wakhe uHanna Mtintso wayesebenza njengomsizi wasendlini kanti ubaba uGana Makabeni wayengusotswebhu wezinyunyana kanye nelungu le African National Congress. UMtintso wabhekana nezinqinamba zezimali ezamvimbela ekuqhubekeni nezifundo zakhe. Njengomphumela, waphoqeleka ukuba ashiye isikole ayosebenza ngokugcwele ezinkampanini ezahlukene ukukhokhela izifundo zakhe esikoleni samazinga aphakeme kanye naseNyuvesi yase Fort-Hare. ENyuvesi waba yisishoshovu somfundi kwi South African Student Organisation kanye ne Black Consciousness Movement. Ubushoshovu bakhe njengomfundi kwezepolitiki kwaholela ekuxoshweni kwakhe eNyuvesi yase Fort-Hare. Njengomphumela wobushoshovu bakhe kwezepolitiki , uMtintso wavalelwa izikhathi ezahlukene umbutho wezokuvikela ngonyaka ka 1970. Waphinde wanqatshelwa ukuhlanganyela emibuthwaneni eminingi ngenxa yokuba yisishoshovu, nomdidiyeli, nobuntatheli bephephandaba i Daily Dispatch Newspaper. Emva kokuboshwa nokuhlukunyezwa ngumbutho wezokuphepha, uMtintso waphoqeleka ukuba aye ekudingisweni ngonyaka ka 1978 , lapho wazibandakanya nombutho we ANC kanye noMkhonto Wesizwe. Waqeqeshelwa ubusotsha , wazabalaza ngaphezu kwezinqinamba, waba ngumkhuzi woMkhonto Wesizwe. Wathunyelwa eFé del Valle School eCuba ukuyoqhubeka nokuqeqeshwa. UMtintso wahlala ekudingisweni kwaze kwaba unyaka ka 1992 wayesebuyela eNingizimu Afrika. Waqokelwa ekomidini elikhulu loguquko waba yilungu elisemqoka ku Convention For a Democratic South Africa (CODESA), kwizingxoxo.