Despite being thousands of miles away from his rural village of KwaMthethwa, outside Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal, Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa was so committed to his ANC branch activities that he attended meetings virtually while in France.

Mthethwa, a former Police and Arts and Culture Minister was found dead at the Hyatt Hotel in Porte Maillot in Paris on Tuesday after going missing on Monday. He is believed to have tragically died after falling from the 22nd floor of the hotel.

King Cetshwayo ANC branch secretary Senzo Mathaba said although Mthethwa spent most of time in France doing his ambassadorial work, he still made time to attend branch meetings virtually to keep himself updated and contribute to the programmes of his local branch.

“He was a committed member of my branch and he would always make time to attend our meetings, even while he was in Paris, “said Mathaba.

He said he was waiting to consult with the branch executive which will determine the course of action leading towards Mthethwa’s funeral.

In his tribute, KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial convener Jeff Radebe expressed his shock at the passing of Mthethwa, saying he worked closely with him while he was ANC chairperson in southern KZN. At that time Mthethwa was national secretary of the ANC Youth League.

Although details of his tragic death are sketchy and still under investigation by French police, the French media revealed that he had been reported missing by his wife on Monday after she received a text message from him that left her concerned. 

The report further cited that Mthethwa’s phone was last used at around 3pm on Monday near the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. His last public appearance was at the 109th Anniversary of the Battle of Delville Wood on Saturday.

Mthethwa was born and raised in the Klaarwater township west in Durban, where he started his political activism as a leader of the Klaarwater Youth Organisation.

He joined the ANC and rose through the party ranks to become the national secretary of the ANC Youth League, a position he held until 2002.

In 2009 he was appointed as a Police Minister under then president Jacob Zuma. In 2014, Zuma appointed him as Arts and Culture Minister, a position he retained under President Cyril Ramaphosa until 2023, when he was appointed Ambassador to France.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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