- Nathi Mthethwa’s uncle says he was known as Jazzman for his football skill before politics drew him into the struggle against the KwaZulu government.
- Mthethwa rose from a Klaarwater activist to ANC chief whip, police minister and later South Africa’s ambassador to France.
The family of late South African ambassador to France Nathi Mthethwa say they never thought he would enter politics because they believed he was destined for a future in football.
His uncle, Musawokuphila Mthethwa, told Scrolla.Africa that the young Nathi was a soccer star when he grew up at kwesakwaMthethwa in kwaMbonambi, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
“We never thought he would branch into politics because he was a fine footballer,” he said. “He was very charismatic on the soccer field, and his skill made fans go crazy. That’s how he earned his nickname, Jazzman.”
Mthethwa started school in kwaMbonambi before moving with his mother and five siblings to Klaarwater, west of Durban, where his interest in politics began.
He joined community organisations during the political resistance against the KwaZulu government led by Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. In the 1980s, he became part of the United Democratic Front, and later joined the ANC Youth League.
After the ANC was unbanned, Mthethwa became the organisation’s first branch secretary in Klaarwater and later served as regional secretary in Southern Natal.
In 2004, he entered Parliament and rose through the ranks – becoming chairperson of the Minerals and Energy Committee, ANC chief whip, and later Minister of Police.
He later served as Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture and was admired for his sharp fashion sense, often mentioned alongside the late Scelo Shiceka and Malusi Gigaba.
Despite his early clashes with the KwaZulu government, Mthethwa later married Philisiwe Buthelezi, the daughter of Prince Buthelezi.
His funeral will take place on Sunday at his birthplace, kwaMbonambi, under a category two official funeral.
Pictured above: Nathi Mthethwa, known as Jazzman for his football talent before entering politics.
Image source: ANC
