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- Nathi Mthethwa was buried in KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal, on Sunday.
- He died after allegedly falling to his death at a hotel in Paris.
- His wife, son and brother-in-law all shared moving tributes to him.
Former ambassador Nathi Mthethwa’s wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi, paid a moving tribute to her husband, saying he had left “silence where there was once melody”.
Mthethwa, who allegedly fell to his death at a hotel in Paris, was buried in KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal, on Sunday.
In a tribute, read by Nomfundo Fakude on Buthelezi’s behalf, she said she and Mthethwa had walked in the sunlight of love, their hearts entwined and soaked in a magic that words could never fully capture.
“With you, life became a song, each note more radiant than the last, and each day a dance of laughter and devotion. You were my king, my protector, my joy. In your eyes I saw the constellations, in your embrace I felt eternity, and now with one cruel stroke death has stolen you away, tearing the fabric of our bliss, leaving me with silence where there was once melody,” she said.
Buthelezi remembered her husband as a fearless freedom fighter who served with integrity and unshakable devotion.
She shared that they were both looking forward to making his diplomatic role a “memorable success”.
Following the successful France-South Africa investment conference in May, he was eager to host a trade and investment roundtable with Monaco.
READ | Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa’s funeral service is under way
Buthelezi remembered her husband for his servant leadership and putting others before himself.
‘Your love was a garden’
She said that at home, her husband was a hero who made space in his heart for each member of his family, nurturing them with patience and tenderness.
“Your love was a garden in which I flourished, your presence a forest that kept every storm at bay. Together, we built a world of warmth, and in that universe, I learnt the truest meaning of love.
“Now, my heart is torn, bleeding with grief, broken by anguish, bruised by the agony of your final hour. The universe feels empty, the air heavy with your absence. I cannot ask God why, for love this great can never be explained nor measured by time. I ask only that he cradles you gently, that he keeps you close until the day that I may be in your midst again.”
Buthelezi added:
You are my sunshine, my eternal flame, and though death has hidden you from my eyes, nothing can quench the fire you lit in my soul. So go well, my beloved, rest now, my king, my comrade, my eternal life, my commander-in-chief, your spirit lives in me, and your light will burn bright across the horizon of my life until eternity calls me to your side, sthandwa sam.
His firstborn son, Mkhululi, said his father was more than a father but a compass that offered direction in times of loss, a fountain of knowledge, and a shelter from the storm.
He added Mthethwa was a giant, a man of virtue, integrity, courage, and brutal honesty.
“As your children, we know and understand that you did all you could and all that you saw fit to prepare for the realities of this world. Perhaps the reality that brings us here today may be the one lesson we have missed. You challenged each and every one of your children to lead their own lives, to be masters of their destinies and to never shy from doing what is right, even when it is unpopular.”
READ | ‘We can’t tell you anything’: Silence and mystery in the Paris hotel where Mthethwa died
Mkhululi said they would carry his lessons of treating others with respect and demanding it, being rooted in humility, strength, pride, and being true to who they were and their values.
“[My father was] a pillar of wisdom, an attentive listener, and a person whose presence filled the room just like his laughter and his voice. I will personally miss our conversations about the walk of life, about the trials and triumphs of becoming a man, the importance of legacy, and the importance of our family. These words will continue within us as your children,” he added.
Sifiso Buthelezi paying tribute to his brother-in-law, Nathi Mthethwa.
While Mthethwa’s brother-in-law, Sifiso Buthelezi, who was hailed for being at Philisiwe’s side throughout the ordeal, also remembered Mthethwa as a brother, comrade, and friend more than he was his in-law.
He also hailed him for serving the people of South Africa until his last day.
“He died with his boots on,” said Sifiso.
He narrated how he had received a phone call from his sister in Paris on 29 September at 23:00 telling him that he had not returned home and that his phone was off, which was unlike him.
Sifiso said the next day the news broke that Mthethwa had died, and from that day his sister’s world had been turned upside down.
“Nathi was no longer a brother-in-law to the Buthelezis. He was their son, their brother, and their uncle. From the time they tied the knot, these two became inseparable lovebirds, they lived a dream life, and they enjoyed the company of each other as if there was no tomorrow.
“Thank you Nyambose ngokusiphathela iqanda lika baba no MaShandu, nawe waqhubeka waliphatha ngobunono kwade kwaba sekugcineni [Thank you Nyambose, for caring for my father and MaShandu’s beloved daughter, and for continuing to treat her with delicacy until the end].”
‘He loved mayonnaise’
He also shared Mthethwa’s love for mayonnaise to the disapproval of his wife.
Nathi Mthethwa's son, Mkhululi, paying tribute to his father.
Sifiso said he was already missing him and had been reminiscing about their days in Cape Town, when they would indulge in their favourite delicacies without their spouses’ rebuke.
“I can hear you saying ‘Shenge, let us indulge in mayonnaise and tomato sauce’. He loved his mayonnaise, and I love my tomato sauce. Unfortunately, Philisiwe and Thandeka, my wife, did not allow us to eat them. But when we were in Cape Town, we were a law unto ourselves. I miss you, my brother, my comrade already,” he added.
