South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, was found dead on Tuesday outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in west Paris, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Mthethwa had been reported missing by his wife on Monday evening after she received a text message from him that caused concern.
He had booked a room on the 22nd floor of the hotel, where investigators found a secured window had been forced open. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and declined to speculate on the outcome.
French media, including Le Parisien, reported that Mthethwa was believed to have taken his own life, though no official source was cited.
South Africa’s foreign affairs department confirmed his death, stating that French authorities are investigating the circumstances.
“Ambassador Mthethwa was a distinguished servant of the nation, whose career was marked by dedicated service in critical ministerial portfolios,” the department said in a statement, describing his death as “a national loss.”
According to the South African embassy’s website, Mthethwa previously served as Minister of Arts and Culture from 2014 to 2019 and later held the combined portfolio of Arts, Culture, and Sport from 2019 to 2023.
