Why France Refused South Africa Investigating the Death of Nkosinathi Mthethwa

Allowing only one South African investigator into France to probe the death of Ambassador Nkosinathi Mthethwa carries implications that go far beyond protocol. France knows what transpired-before, during, and after his death. But they will never share those findings. The French secret service monitors all diplomats on their soil from the moment they arrive. Cyber communications, private or official, fall under their jurisdiction. Any irregularities-espionage, criminal activity, or sensitive exchanges-are theirs to keep or disclose at their discretion.

South African authorities suspect Mthethwa did not commit suicide but was murdered. Their entry point into the investigation was to establish foul play. Yet the final phone call between Nathi and Philisiwe hinted at suicidal intent. The French authorities, however, have stuck to one narrative: suicide. According to them, he threw himself from a scissors-tempered window. Case closed.

There's another reason France declined a full investigation: it would take months. France's current political and economic climate doesn't allow for open-ended inquiries. They've seen how long African cases drag-like the saga of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, whose body remains in a South African morgue while courts play tug-of-war. France won't allow such drama on its soil.

A third possibility: criminal syndicates cloaked in government attire may have tipped off French authorities to accept the suicide narrative. A deeper probe could expose state secrets and implicate powerful figures in South Africa's captured institutions. In African politics, the left hand rarely knows what the right hand is doing.

Do criminal syndicates collaborate with French intelligence? Officially, no. Speculatively, perhaps. But the French secret service wanted a clear timeline and closure. They know more than we do. To them, the death of an African ambassador is a sideshow. France itself is unstable-Prime Ministers resigning, budget crises mounting, and growing calls to leave the EU. They won't waste time on African investigations.

The repatriation of Mthethwa's remains, however, honoured African values. The focus shifted from cause of death to spiritual dignity. His son was present to call his father's soul home. The ceremonies were deeply moving-rooted in ancestral reverence and cultural authenticity.

Yet questions linger. Why did President Ramaphosa respond with such indifference? At the funeral, he was jovial-as if attending a wedding. I should be excused for saying: he is not clean. Nathi's death feels like another concealment. A dead man tells no tales. Ramaphosa knows more than he lets on.

Could the Mkhwanazi Commission have triggered Mthethwa's death? The commission's findings were devastating-especially for politicians. His death may be linked to the corruption scandals that have rotted South Africa's institutions for decades. In African settings, suicide is rarely accepted. The culprit is often defined away from the scene.

South African capitalism rivals America's. The obsession with wealth-who has more, who lives better, who drives top-tier cars-fuels criminality. Hangwani Maumela owned three Lamborghinis, all the same colour, just to outshine competitors. This kind of capitalism breeds theft. The hunger to belong to the 1% elite drives corruption.

Drug and human trafficking are rampant. Women and children from Malawi are trafficked to farms for cheap labour. The cruelty is staggering. South Africa, after centuries of colonialism, should exemplify true Uhuru. Instead, it perfects apartheid-era exploitation. The erosion of human dignity is deplorable.

How South Africa will recover is a million-dollar question. The white elite is watching. They won't hesitate to stage a coup and return the country to pre-1994 conditions. South African independence is a façade. The nation is an entity floating on the New York Stock Exchange-white capital in disguise. The mask worn in 1994 is slipping. Black South Africans will soon realize what their Uhuru truly meant: emptiness.

A nation born out of violence. If a coup erupts, will South Africans flee to Zimbabwe and become Makwerekweres overnight? Which countries will welcome migrants who believe they're superior by skin tone? For better or worse, something must give-sooner or later.