Nathi Mthethwa’s wife, Philisiwe Bhuthelezi, paid tribute to her husband with a touching tribute read at his funeral service on Sunday, 12 October.
The former minister and Ambassador to France was laid to rest after his shock suicide in Paris earlier this month.
According to preliminary reports, the 58-year-old flung himself off the 22nd floor of his hotel balcony.
NATHI MTHETHWA’S WIFE TRIBUTE AT FUNERAL
On Sunday, Nathi Mthethwa was laid to rest at a state funeral at his home in KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal.
During the service, in which President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a eulogy, Mthethwa’s wife Philisiwe Bhuthelezi’s tribute to her husband was read out by family representative, Nolitha Fakude.
A part of it read: “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”.
Nathi Mthethwa and Philisiwe Bhuthelezi married in a grand French-themed wedding in 2013.
The tribute continued: “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 keeps 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”.
SON: ‘WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND’
Meanwhile, Nathi Mthethwa’s son, Mkhululi Mthethwa, hailed his late father as “a man of virtue, integrity, courage, and brutal honesty”
He said: “As your children, we know and understand that you did all you could and all you saw fit to prepare us for the realities of this world.
“Our identity is grounded in humility, strength, pride, and being true to ourselves. These are the values that my father embodied”.
Mthethwa’s son added: “You have been a shining example to your children, the grandchildren, the community, our nation, and the world at large. Hamba Kahle, Nkonyane!”
