Nathi Mthethwa laid to rest. Photo credit: EWN/Katlego Jiyane.
(The Post News) – The funeral for Emmanuel Nkosinathi “Nathi” Mthethwa, South Africa’s ambassador to France and Monaco, took place in KwaMbonambi, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, today, Sunday, October 12. At 9:00 a.m. today, the Special Official Funeral Category 2 service got underway at Dondotha Stadium.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy to thousands of mourners, praising Mthethwa as an “unapologetic activist” who spent his life fighting for justice and democracy.
“The man we are laying to rest today was an unapologetic activist,” Ramaphosa stated, reflecting on Mthethwa’s journey from a shop steward at a beverage factory to high office. “It was about refusing to accept the world as it is, and working every day to build the world as it should be.”
The President highlighted Mthethwa’s courage and commitment, urging those in government and young people to learn from the Ambassador’s life.
“He never lost sight of what drew him into the struggle: the belief that injustice must be opposed; that people deserve dignity, rights, opportunities.”
Ramaphosa called Mthethwa a “disciplined, loyal cadre” of the ANC, suggesting his life provides an example for renewing the party’s moral centre “not through rhetoric, but through conduct.”
Widow’s Farewell
A particularly moving moment at the service occurred when the Ambassador’s widow, Philisiwe Mthethwa, had a family member read her heartfelt farewell letter. According to reports, Philisiwe, who married Mthethwa twelve years ago, dabbed her eyes during the reading of the tribute because the grief of her husband’s death he had fallen from the 22nd floor of a Parisian hotel, was still too raw for her and her daughters to discuss in public.
Nolitha Fakude expressed Philisiwe’s long and profound affection as she read the tribute:
“I cannot ask God why for love this great can never be explained nor measured by time. I ask only that he cradle you gently, that he keep you close until the day I may be in your midst again. You are my sunshine, my eternal flame, and though death has hidden you from my eyes, nothing can quench the fire you’ve lit in my soul.”
Nathi, the family man, was remembered as a nurturing and courageous husband and father whose laughter echoed in the house, a source of calm in the storm for his loved ones.
Children Remember a ‘Man of Virtue’
The service featured deeply personal tributes, including one from Mthethwa’s children. Speaking on their behalf, Mkhululi Mthethwa described his father as a “man of virtue, integrity, courage, and honesty,” and a pillar of wisdom.
“Where does one begin to bid farewell to you, Nyambose…a person who was so much more than the title of being a father,” Mkhululi said, acknowledging the deep loss felt by his siblings: Mxolisi, Nombuso, Senzekile, Ayanda, and Zinathi. “In times of loss and misdirection, you were our compass, a fountain for those who seek the test of knowledge, a shelter from the storm, and at times, the storm itself.”
Ambassador to Argentina, Phumelele Gwala, also remembered Mthethwa’s passions, noting he was an activist who held a deep love for theatre and sports.
For more coverage on the life of the late Ambassador, you can watch Nathi Mthethwa Memorial | Minister Ronald Lamola pays tribute. This video shows the tribute paid by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation at the memorial service for Nathi Mthethwa.
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