Nathi Mthethwa, South Africa’s Ambassador to France, was laid to rest on Sunday, north of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mthethwa fell from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, on the 30th September 2025.
Investigations continue into his death, which came days after an expose by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, at the Madlanga Commission, meant to uncover corruption in safety and security clusters.
The funeral was broadcast live on social media platforms, allowing direct responses from viewers.
Some viewers suspect Mthethwa is alive, suggesting he is watching his own funeral.
But President Ramaphosa, who gave a eulogy at Mthethwa’s funeral, said “he has been taken away from us, yet in the echoes of his deeds, in the memories we share of him, and in the lives he touched, his spirit endures, as does the many lessons we must learn from his illustrious life.”
He also said Mthethwa was an unapologetic activist, who refused to accept the injustice of apartheid.
He joined the anti-apartheid struggle in the early 1980s when he was barely a teenager.
He was a Member of Parliament since 2002, and from there he took up positions as the Chief Whip of the ANC, Chair of the Parliamentary Committees, Minister of Police, then Minister of Arts, Culture, and Sport.
Ramaphosa also said about Mthethwa “I would suggest that he taught us what courage and commitment is.”
His wife of 17 years, Philisiwe Buthelezi, said in a tribute read by Nolitha Fakude “our hearts entwined. With you, life became a song, more radiant than the last…. For unity to you, was sacred.”
Picture: Supplied