South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi “Nathi”
Mthethwa, was found dead outside a Paris hotel, French prosecutors confirmed on
Tuesday.
Born in December 2023, Mthethwa was 58 years old and had been ambassador to France since then.
According to the Paris prosecutors' office, Mthethwa's wife reported him missing on Monday night after receiving a concerning text message from him.
According to the prosecutor's office, a secured window had been pried open when Mthethwa reserved a room on the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris' 17th arrondissement.
It stated that an inquiry was being conducted into the cause of Mthethwa's death and that it would not predict the results.
Mthethwa's "untimely passing" was described by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as "a moment of deep grief in which the government and citizens stand beside the Mthethwa family."
According to Ramaphosa, Mthwethwa had contributed to South Africa in a variety of ways "during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically."
In a statement confirming his passing, South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said that Mthethwa "was a distinguished servant of the nation, whose career was marked by dedicated service in critical ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Police and Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture."
DIRCO stated that French officials were looking into the circumstances behind Mthethwa's "untimely death".
During Jacob Zuma's administration, Mthethwa served as South Africa's minister of police. From 2014 to 2019, he served as minister of arts and culture, and from 2019 until 2023, he added sport to his portfolio.
Prior to this, he was a member of the African National Congress's (ANC) leadership structures from 2007 to 2022 and was on the board of directors of the local organizing committee for the 2010 football World Cup.
In 1989, the apartheid government detained him for belonging to the ANC's armed branch.
What did French authorities say about the cause of death?
Authorities in France have affirmed that the circumstances
connected to Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, South Africa's ambassador,
are being looked into. Mthethwa was located at the base of the Hyatt Regency
hotel in Paris after apparently falling from the 22nd floor; investigators
found a locked window to be forcibly opened.
According to reports from French media, which included Le Parisien, Mthethwa is suspected of having taken his own life, even though no official source has confirmed this outright. The Paris prosecutor's office has avoided speculation and is pursuing a formal investigation.
A source with close relationships to the case has said the ambassador had been suffering from depression, and suicide was a potential cause.