No final outcome has been communicated on the French investigation into the death of South Africa’s late ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has told Parliament.
The latest response has also clarified that the South African Police Service did not send investigators to France, despite an earlier announcement that a team would travel to assist with the probe.
Instead, two SAPS members were authorised to travel to France on a fact-finding mission and to help establish cooperation with the French authorities handling the investigation.
The new details were revealed after ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James asked Cachalia for the official outcome of the investigation and wanted to know whether SAPS had deployed a team to France.
Mthethwa, 58, was found dead after falling from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris on 30 September 2025. Because the death occurred in France, the investigation was handled by French authorities.
Cachalia said South African officials had not received a final result from the French investigation.
“The investigation into the death of the late South African Ambassador to the French Republic was conducted by the French authorities, as the incident occurred within their jurisdiction.
“At this stage, no final outcome has been communicated in respect of the investigation,” Cachalia said.
SAPS Did Not Send Investigators
The parliamentary response appears to draw an important distinction between investigators and officials who travelled to France to gather information and support cooperation.
Cachalia confirmed that SAPS did not send a team of investigators to conduct a separate South African probe. The two members who travelled were authorised to establish facts and facilitate engagement with the French authorities.
“The South African Police Service did not deploy any investigators to the French Republic in relation to this matter,” he said.
The minister added that the two members travelled on a fact-finding mission and were tasked with helping the two countries communicate about the investigation.
“However, two SAPS members were authorised to travel to the French Republic on a fact-finding mission and to facilitate cooperation and engagement with the relevant French authorities regarding the investigation,” Cachalia said.
The clarification comes months after South African authorities publicly indicated that police investigators would be sent to France. The earlier plan involved a larger team that was expected to work with French law-enforcement officials and assist in establishing what happened to the ambassador.
The latest parliamentary answer shows that the final arrangement was different. Two SAPS members travelled, but they did so for fact-finding and cooperation rather than as a formal investigative team.
Trip Cost More Than R124 000
Cachalia also provided details about the cost of the trip. The travel and related expenses were administered through the Interpol budget.
The estimated amount recorded in the memorandum and an addendum was R164 812.17. However, the actual cost of the trip for the two SAPS members came to R124 227.71.
“The actual costs for two members amounted to R 124 227.71,” he said.
The amount covers the trip by the two officials who were authorised to travel to France. The minister did not announce any additional spending linked to the French investigation in the response.
South African and French authorities also agreed to pursue a Mutual Legal Assistance process through the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. This process is used by countries to assist one another with information and legal cooperation in matters being investigated across borders.
However, Cachalia’s response made clear that the South African government had not been given a final outcome by the French authorities.
Questions Remain Unanswered
The latest parliamentary response leaves several questions open for Mthethwa’s family and the South African public. It does not provide a final account of what happened at the Paris hotel or explain when a final report may be released.
It also does not state whether the French investigation has been formally closed or whether further work is still being carried out. The response only confirms that no final outcome has been communicated to South African authorities at this stage.
French authorities began investigating after Mthethwa was found dead at the hotel. The circumstances surrounding his fall were examined in France because the incident took place there.
South African officials were expected to maintain contact with French authorities while the investigation continued. The fact-finding mission was intended to help with that cooperation and ensure that information could be shared through the proper channels.
The distinction between the two roles is now at the centre of the political questions surrounding the case. James wanted clarity on whether SAPS investigators had been deployed, while Cachalia’s response confirmed that the officials who travelled were not sent to conduct a police investigation in France.
Family Awaits Clarity
Mthethwa served as South Africa’s ambassador to France at the time of his death. His passing shocked many people who knew him through his years in public service and government.
He previously served in several senior government positions, including as minister of police and minister of sports, arts and culture, before taking up the ambassadorial post in France.
The continued absence of a final communicated outcome means that the public record remains incomplete. While French authorities are responsible for the investigation, South Africa remains involved through diplomatic and legal cooperation.
The case has also drawn attention because of the time that has passed since Mthethwa’s death. More than 10 months later, South African authorities are still saying that no final outcome has been communicated.
Cachalia’s response does not accuse French authorities of failing to investigate. It confirms that the matter falls under French jurisdiction and that South African officials travelled to support cooperation between the two countries.
For now, the key facts remain that Mthethwa died in Paris on 30 September 2025, French authorities conducted the investigation, two SAPS members travelled on a fact-finding mission, and the actual cost of that trip was R124 227.71.
The question that remains is when South Africa and Mthethwa’s loved ones will receive the final official outcome of the investigation into the ambassador’s death.
