Nathi Mthethwa's coffin during his funeral in KwaMbonambi on Sunday.
Rosetta Msimang/News24
Nathi Mthethwa’s funeral is under way in KwaMbonambi.Former finance minister Dr Malusi Gigaba delivered an ode to his late friend and political colleague. Businesswoman Gloria Serobe told of how Philisiwe,Mthethwa’s wife,searched for him even in his study when he went missing.
Nathi Mthethwa’s closest friends,former Cabinet minister Dr Malusi Gigaba and businesswoman Gloria Serobe,paid tribute to him at his funeral service on Sunday.
The service was held at the Siyabonga Sangweni soccer stadium in KwaMbonambi,KwaZulu-Natal.
Mthethwa was declared dead on 30 September after a suspected suicide in Paris,France.
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Gigaba said: “We gather here today in the quiet; in the hallowed space that grief has carved out for us.
“We stand together under a sky that feels different now,that has welcomed a new star,one we can barely see through the veil of our tears.
“In the sombre and solemn stillness of time,we struggle to collect our grief to come to terms with the tragedy that has struck us,suddenly and callously,yet with the certainty that nobody could prevent.”
READ | ‘We can’t tell you anything’: Silence and mystery in the Paris hotel where Mthethwa died
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He described Mthethwa as a “gentle,affable and kind soul,a steady hand and a calm and reassuring mind” in hard times.
Gigaba viewed him as a “political commissar”,a historian,cultural activist,and a progressive internationalist.
He recalled how Mthethwa and eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba guided the ANC Youth League delegation in “tense” 1993 peace talks with the IFP Youth Brigade.
Gigaba said in every position Mthethwa held,he applied himself with humility and devotion,“always serving South Africa with integrity”.
He added:
Nothing was too big or too small or trivial for him.
He passed words of encouragement to Mthethwa’s wife,Philisiwe Buthelezi,saying: “Nyambose [Mthethwa] has not gone somewhere else; he has gone into everything.
“He is in the warmth of the sun on your face on a cold day.
“The unexpected,buoyant melody that finds you on a difficult morning.”
Gigaba said mourners should say “thank you” instead of “goodbye” to Mthethwa.
“Thank you for the poetry of your life; the verse you wrote on our souls.
“We see you in the constellation of memories that now guides us and will learn to navigate by your light.
“Rest easy,brother,” he added.
Malusi Gigaba paid tribute to his friend,Nathi Mthethwa.
Rosetta Msimang/News24
Serobe said the family should find comfort in the support of their family and friends.
She recalled that in 2012,during the centenary of SACP stalwart Rebecca Makotane,Mthethwa was tasked with distributing gifts.
He ended up using the birthday to educate the audience about the history of the SACP.
Serobe said that during Cope’s breakaway from the ANC,when members were not even speaking to one another,Mthethwa put some of them together in a room,and they put aside their differences.
She recounted how Philisiwe,a career woman,made a “tough decision” and suspended her career to support Mthethwa’s diplomatic career in France.
He was “forcing matters,pushing boundaries” as the ambassador,especially in relation to the international conference on business investing in South Africa.
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Serobe spoke about the ordeal Philisiwe faced when Mthethwa went missing in France.
She said when it appeared that he went missing,she looked for him in his study and other corners of their house,only to find out he was dead.
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