Almost a year after the death of Ambassador Emmanuel Nathi Mthethwa in France, the South African government are still awaiting a report from the French authorities regarding the investigation into the matter.
Mthethwa was found dead on September 30, 2025, after allegedly falling from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile hotel.
Investigators found that a secured window in his room had been forced open with scissors. Initial investigators reported no signs of a struggle or traces of medication or illegal drugs. His wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi, had reported him missing the night before.
Although French authorities closed their investigation after concluding that he died by suicide, Mthethwa's family has rejected the finding and have called for a full, transparent inquiry.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia in response to Parliamentary questions said that South Africa has not received a final report or official outcome from the French investigation into Mthethwa’s death.
Cachalia also clarified that an investigative team were not deployed to France. Instead, two police members travelled on a “fact-finding mission”.
He also said the engagement between the South African and French authorities resulted in agreement that a process of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) should be pursued through the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
Mthethwa died just days after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused him of political meddling in high-level police cases.
Mkhwanazi testified that Mthethwa tried to influence former Inspector General of Intelligence Faith Radebe to drop criminal charges against former Crime Intelligence head Richard Mdluli in 2011.
He labelled the interference as the worst he had ever experienced.
While there is no credible evidence at this stage that Mthethwa’s death involved foul play or was linked to the work of the Madlanga Commission, Professor Theo Neethling, an international relations expert and political analyst, said Mthethwa's death meant that a significant person who could have offered first-hand information regarding political meddling in the police is no longer available to share his story.
Neethling added that while timing alone does not constitute evidence of foul play, the timing of Mkhwanazi's accusations against him may understandably raise questions.
“Therefore, the most suitable approach is not to dismiss the matter or speculate about a conspiracy. The immediate issue is determining precisely what the French investigation found, whether the investigation formally ruled out third-party involvement, whether the South African government appears not to have yet received the formal report, and whether the French investigation found a clear conclusion.
“Because Mthethwa's potential significance to the Madlanga Commission's investigation into political interference in the South African police is crucial, these questions are particularly important,” he said.
Both the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development referred questions to the police.
When asked if police are investigating whether Mthethwa’s death was linked to testimonies and high-level political exposure related to the Madlanga Commission, SAPS national spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the SAPS would not be drawn into commenting on the circumstances surrounding his death.
Another international relations expert, Professor Andre Thomashausen, said the South African Embassy in Paris could have neglected the need for a formal diplomatic communication known as note verbale to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting an investigation.
“They can easily request the information now and surely France will then oblige,” he said.
manyane.manyane@nationalmg.co.za