“Rest Now, My King” – Philisiwe Buthelezi’s Heartfelt Farewell to Late Ambassador Nathi Mthetwa

KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal – October 12, 2025

At the Siyabonga Sangweni Sports Complex, where hundreds gathered to honor the life of Ambassador Nathi Mthetwa, his wife Philisiwe Buthelezi delivered a farewell that echoed with both grief and gratitude.

The atmosphere was solemn yet intimate, as family, dignitaries, and community members listened to her heartfelt reflection on a love story that spanned seventeen years.

“Seventeen years ago, we walked together in the sunlight of love,” she began. “Our hearts intertwined, soaked in a magic that words could never fully hold. With you, life became a song, each note more radiant than the last.”

Philisiwe spoke of a bond defined by tenderness, devotion, and shared purpose. She described her husband as her king, protector, and source of joy, a man whose presence turned ordinary days into radiant memories. The loss, she said, had torn through the fabric of her world, leaving behind silence where once there was music.

Her tribute painted Nathi Mthetwa not just as a beloved partner, but as a fearless patriot, “a lion of the struggle” whose life embodied courage, service, and loyalty to his people. She reflected on his unyielding commitment to South Africa’s liberation and his steadfast belief in unity as the heartbeat of the ANC.

Recalling their shared work in diplomacy, Philisiwe remembered his passion for building bridges across nations, his humility in leadership, and his belief that every pursuit must serve the people. From the success of the South Africa Investment Conference earlier this year to his plans for a trade and investment roundtable with Monaco, she spoke of a man driven by purpose and guided by principle.

“Following the success of the South Africa Investment Conference in May this year, your sights were set on the trade and investment roundtable with Monaco,” she noted. “Among the many distinctions I admired in you was your servant leadership, your instinct to place yourself last and others first.”

She also gave a glimpse into the gentler side of the late ambassador, the husband and family man who wrapped his loved ones in care and patience, creating a home filled with warmth and laughter. His love, she said, was a garden where she flourished; his presence, a fortress that shielded them from life’s storms.

“At home, you were no less a hero. You wrapped my family in your boundless heart, nurturing us with patience and tenderness. Your love was a garden in which I flourished, your presence a fortress that kept every storm at bay.”

In closing, Philisiwe’s words carried both heartbreak and hope. She said the pain of parting could never erase the light he brought into her life, nor the flame of love that continues to burn within her. For her, his spirit remains alive, a guiding force that will shine across her life’s horizon until eternity calls her to his side.

“So go well, my beloved. Rest now, my King, my comrade, my eternal love, 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.”

As her tribute ended, the silence that followed was profound. Many wept quietly, not just for the loss of a diplomat and leader, but for the end of a love story that touched every heart in the room.