By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The late South Africa’s ambassador to France Emmanuel Nkosinathi “Nathi” Mthethwa laid to rest in KwasekwaMthethwa home cemetery, KwaMbonambi, North of KwaZulu-Natal.
Mthethwa served as Head of Mission in Paris, France, before passing away in the French capital on 30 September 2025, at the age of 58.
A special category two funeral took place at the Siyabonga Sangweni Sports Ground in Dondotha.
The category two funeral entail ceremonial elements performed by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy in honour of Mthethwa, saying he sacrificed personal comfort to fight for equality and freedom.
“It was about refusing to accept the world as it is, and working – every day – to build the world as it should be.
“A life of activism is not easy. It’s often uncomfortable, even dangerous. But it is deeply human.”
“The president said Mthethwa activism began when he worked at a beverage factory.
The price would be dismissal from his job at Just Juice, where he was a shop steward, a loss of income. Perhaps it was exile. Perhaps arrest. Perhaps the heartbreak of seeing comrades fall, families torn apart, hopes threatened.”
Ramaphosa said Mthethwa came of age just before the end of apartheid.
“It was a generation of young lions that saw the end of apartheid and ushered in a new era of freedom and justice.”
Ramaphosa said people in government and South Africa’s young people could learn from Mthethwa.
“I would suggest that he taught us what courage and commitment is. From being a shop steward, to his student days in Klaarwater, to being detained, to holding high office, he never lost sight of what drew him into the struggle: the belief that injustice must be opposed; that people deserve dignity, rights, opportunities.”
He described Mthethwa as a “disciplined, loyal cadre” of the ANC.
“Mthethwa remained loyal to ANC principles, even amid difficult terrains. His life invites reflection on how to renew the ANC’s moral centre – not through rhetoric, but through conduct.”
Mthethwa’s wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi Mthethwa, said their 17 years of marriage were filled with love and unwavering support. She described her late husband as her “king, protector, and joy,”
“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. You were a lion of a struggle, fearless and unyielding, carrying the hope of freedom on your shoulders”.
While his son, Mkhululi Mthethwa, who also spoke on behalf of his siblings, remembered his father as much more than just a parent, calling him as a source of wisdom and a pillar of strength.
“How can I possibly try to articulate your deeds or the experience of being born of a giant? My father was a man of virtue, integrity, courage, and brute honesty. As your children, we know and understand that you did all you could and all that you saw fit to prepare us for the reality”.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli also paid tribute to Mthethwa, highlighting his lifelong dedication to public service and his role as a unifying figure within the province.
Mthethwa’s death brings a sudden end to a decades-long political career that spanned South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy and key leadership roles in government and the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Born on January 23, 1967, Mthethwa rose through the ranks of the liberation movement from his teenage years. He joined the Klaarwater Youth Organisation in KwaZulu-Natal at 15, later becoming its chairperson and serving as the first branch secretary of the ANC in Klaarwater in 1990.
During the late 1980s, he was recruited into the ANC’s underground military wing, uMkhonto We Sizwe, as part of Operation Vula and was arrested during the apartheid state of emergency in 1989.
After the dawn of democracy, Mthethwa became a prominent organiser within the ANC Youth League, holding multiple leadership positions including regional secretary and NEC member between 1990 and 2001. He later joined the ANC’s National Organising team before entering Parliament in 2002, where he served until 2023.
During his parliamentary career, he chaired the Minerals and Energy Portfolio Committee and became ANC Chief Whip in 2008.
He went on to hold several ministerial posts, including Minister of Safety and Security (2008–2009), Minister of Police (2009–2014), and Minister of Arts and Culture (2014–2019). From 2019 to 2023, he served as Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, where he oversaw key cultural and sporting initiatives, including preparations for major international events.
He was appointed South Africa’s Ambassador to France after leaving the Cabinet in 2023, representing the country in Paris until his death.
Throughout his career, he was a longstanding member of the ANC’s National Executive Committee and National Working Committee, shaping party strategy and policy over more than a decade. He also held academic credentials in community development, mining engineering, and leadership communication.
Mthethwa is survived by his wife Philisiwe Buthelezi-Mthethwa, children and grand children.