The family of the late ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, says the involvement of five South African police investigators in the probe into his death brings them hope that no stone will be left unturned in finding out what happened to their loved one.
The five officers, whom Police Minister, Professor Firoz Cachalia, described as seasonal, departed for France on Friday to join the probe currently into the former minister’s death conducted by the French police.
The Mthethwa family rejects the French authority’s official report that Mthethwa committed suicide by jumping to his death from the 22nd floor of a hotel in Paris on September 30, 2025.
His motionless body was discovered on the pavement outside the 137-meter-tall Hyatt Regency Hotel, where he had reportedly checked in.
A police media statement released on Friday evening stated that the team of South African police investigators was led by Western Cape Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Crime Detection Major General Bongani Maqhashalala.
Mthethwa’s brother, Khulekani Mthethwa, said the family hoped that the South African officers would be able to dig deeper and come up with answers as to how his sibling, who was also the former Sports, Arts, and Culture minister, met his death.
“We are happy with the deployment because we have unanswered questions, so if there is a team of investigators deployed to France, it is what the family needs, as this might give us complete information,” said Khulekani.
He said it was not that the family didn’t trust that the French police would do due diligence.
“If you have lost a family member, finding the truth is not about trusting or not trusting a person, but we want to get the truth as to what happened.”
He said the South African police’s involvement would enable the family members, who are at the Mthethwas’ KwaMbonambi rural village outside Empangeni, in KwaZulu-Natal north coast, to get an update on the progress of the investigation.
According to him, they were currently relying on the family members, including Mthethwa’s wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi, who are still in Paris, for information.
He added that the government, which was managing the programme, would brief the family on the funeral arrangements.
“The government came to discuss with us, and we are still waiting for it to brief us about the arrangements,” said Khulekani.
National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe could not say what exactly the deployed officers would investigate or when they would return to the country.
“The team is only leaving today (Saturday) – we don’t know anything as yet. They are yet to be briefed by French authorities,” she said.
Mthethwa died while he was on the list of politicians to appear before the Madlanga Commission and Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, which are both conducting parallel investigations into KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations of political interference in the police work.
During his testimony at the commission, Mkhwanazi told Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga that, as police minister in 2011, Mthethwa had tried to block him from proceeding with criminal charges and disciplinary action against Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli.
If Mthethwa committed suicide, he would not be the first ambassador from the African continent to France to take his life in Paris, as the Central African Republic ambassador Nestor Kombot-Naguemon did the same 21 years ago.
According to media reports, Kombot-Naguemon, who was 60 years old, plunged to his death from the sixth floor of his official home in the city in October 2004.
Mthethwa was also not the first high-profile ANC leader to have “committed suicide” while facing allegations.
KwaZulu-Natal party spokesperson Mlukeki Ndobe, who was the former mayor of Umzimkhulu Municipality, allegedly shot himself on November 6, 2020, while facing allegations of orchestrating the murder of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa, who was the councillor at the municipality.
Ndobe died almost a year after charges against him in connection with Magaqa’s murder had been provisionally withdrawn by the Umzimkhulu Magistrate’s Court due to insufficient evidence.
President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed Mthethwa to France in 2024.
According to the minutes of the Ad Hoc Committee’s meeting held on September 26, Mthethwa was among many politicians earmarked to appear before the committee on a date yet to be decided.
However, when contacted, the national Parliament’s communication officer, Rajaa Azzakani, said the list of witnesses had not been officially confirmed.
“No decision was taken on additional witnesses. Some names were proposed, but no decision was taken.
“The committee decided to first hear the evidence of Gen Mkhwanazi and then decided who to call as additional witnesses,” said Azzakani.
Mkhwanazi was expected to appear before the committee on Tuesday as the first witness to testify on his allegations against members of criminal syndicates, Senzo Mchunu, whom Ramaphosa placed on leave, and former police minister Bheki Cele.
