Traditional healers and cultural experts have commended the family of South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, for their decision to fetch his spirit from Paris, warning that failure to do so could bring spiritual and generational consequences.
Mthethwa, 58, died after falling from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris on Tuesday, September 30.
His sudden death has shocked the nation and prompted an investigation by French authorities.
Family spokesperson and brother, Khulekani Mthethwa, said preparations are underway to repatriate his body, and confirmed that the process is progressing smoothly.
Speaking from the family home in KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal, Khulekani said relatives had travelled to France following the tragedy.
“We are in contact with our in-laws, who were able to quickly travel to France,” he said on Thursday, during a visit from KwaZulu-Natal ANC leaders offering condolences.
“We just spoke to them today, and everything is in preparation. By Monday or Tuesday, everything should be finalised.”
He added that, in line with tradition, the family is still determining who will travel to Paris to perform the spiritual ritual to fetch his spirit.
Meanwhile, traditional healer Nobantu Sithathu, known as “Gogo Nkonjane,” said the Mthethwa family is doing the right thing by planning to fetch the late ambassador’s spirit, a practice in Zulu culture known as “ukulanda umoya”.
“It’s important that the spirit is fetched from the place where the person passed away. A person is more than just a body – they are a spirit,” she explained.
Sithathu said that a ritual must be performed at the scene of death to ensure the spirit returns home, where it can rest in peace.
“They will perform a ritual at the place where he died, to let his spirit know it’s being taken from the place where it left his body. From there, it will be guided to the mortuary, then brought home to the family, and finally to his burial place,” she explained.
“This process ensures the spirit does not linger or cause unrest for the family or future generations. If not fetched, the spirit may result in misfortune, such as recurring dreams, restlessness, or even similar tragic deaths.”
She warned that without this spiritual homecoming, the spirit remains at the scene of death.
“If not fetched, the spirit will remain where he died – stepped on by others – and might spiritually ‘call’ family members back through accidents or bad luck.”
The shrub called “umphafa” or “mlahlankosi” is used to carry the spirit home.
The shrub is typically placed inside the coffin or carried by a family member to retrieve the spirit.
Only a specific person, who must not speak to anyone else during the process, is chosen to carry it.
Failure to perform this ritual, Sithathu said, can bring spiritual disturbances such as unnatural deaths within the family.
Professor Gugu Mazibuko, a cultural expert from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), echoed these views.
She said the ritual has deep roots in African customs, particularly during times of war when many died far from home.
“If someone dies outside the homestead, especially in a tragic way – their spirit must be brought home. Otherwise, the family cannot fully unite with their ancestors,” she told News.
He has to be cleansed through rituals and brought back so that he re-enters the homestead peacefully.”
Mazibuko warned that failure to do this could lead to a spiritual phenomenon known as “umkhokha” – a recurring cycle of similar deaths within the family, such as suicides or accidents.
“This ritual breaks that pattern,” she said. “It’s a way to cleanse and reconnect the deceased with their ancestors and God, so they can be welcomed and rest.”
Mazibuko added that the branch used in the ritual is the only means through which communication with the deceased is possible.
“Only ‘umphafa’ or ‘mlahlankosi’ is used – you cannot use any other shrub. The person carrying it must not speak, except to the one whose spirit they are bringing home.”
She pointed out that even when the South African government repatriates the remains of political heroes who died in exile, family members are included in the process to conduct this vital ritual.
Responding to critics who may see the ritual as outdated and unnecessary, Mazibuko said it provides spiritual closure and healing for the bereaved.
“It’s not just about national mourning – this is about family healing. A person may have been a national figure, but to his family, he is a loved one. They must find closure and peace by performing all necessary rites, to avoid future hardship.”
She emphasised that the ritual is not symbolic – it is a protective and spiritual necessity rooted in tradition.
“Even if this happened in South Africa, the same steps would need to be taken. Because of the nature of the death, the family must ensure the spirit is at peace, and that the bond with the ancestors is restored.”
