- Actor Zola Hashatsi posted a cryptic message on Instagram after a news graphic alleged that Nathi Mthethwa's family relocated to France
- Mthethwa, SA's former ambassador to France, was found dead near a Paris hotel in September 2025, with French authorities revealing his cause of death
- Hashatsi, who previously claimed Mthethwa was alive in August 2026, reignited speculation with his latest post
Source: Getty Images
Actor and filmmaker Zola Hashatsi has once again stirred up conversation around the death of former South African ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa. On Sunday, 11 October 2026, Hashatsi posted a cryptic message on Instagram after a news graphic from SAN24 News alleged that Mthethwa's family had relocated to France, writing,
"I been saying that the world is a Stage."
Mthethwa, 58, was found dead near the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris on Tuesday, 30 September 2025. His wife had reported him missing the previous evening after receiving what the Paris prosecutor's office described as a "worrying message" from him. He had checked into a room on the 22nd floor of the hotel, and investigators found that the security window had been forced open. French authorities subsequently launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
French authorities confirm Nathi Mthethwa's cause of death
The Paris Prosecutor's Office officially closed the investigation, concluding that Mthethwa died by taking his own life. On 18 September 2026, eNCA reported that Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi confirmed the findings were consistent with what the Mthethwa family had previously communicated. The Justice Department also confirmed it had received the documents required by the Master of the High Court to proceed with the administration and finalisation of his estate.
Despite the official ruling, a segment of South Africans has long been sceptical, believing Mthethwa staged his own death. Hashatsi himself openly claimed in August 2026 that the former minister was still alive, and his latest Instagram post appears to double down on that view.
See Hashatsi's post that reignited the speculation below:
Netizens react to the family's alleged move
The post drew a wave of responses from netizens who found the timing of the reported relocation suspicious. Here's what they had to say:
@nox_zoh said:
"People in France will take a picture of him in public one day🤞🏽"
@sbonah_ remarked:
"What! Isn't it alleged that he died in France? All of a sudden, the whole family is moving to France. Okay, the guy is alive. It was all staged."
@mrs.m.southafrica speculated:
"I guess all this was to avoid the Madlanga Commission 😢"
@nele_zinhle shared:
"We did say he wasn't dead😂😂😂"
@tony7140798 asked:
"What's up with them moving to France?"
@ne_ver.ty said:
"Haibo just like that, moving to France 🤣🤣🤣🤣"
Source: UGC
Zola Hashatsi advises Limpopo Boy amid leaked video scandal
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that Zola Hashatsi posted a public message to Limpopo Boy after a leaked video exposed his affair with married woman Matshidiso Matilda.
This was after several sponsors and brands began cutting ties with Limpopo Boy following the scandal that erupted in August 2026.
Source: Briefly News
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