Rabat – South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, was found dead on Tuesday at the front of the Hyatt Regency hotel in western Paris, French authorities said.
Mthethwa had been reported missing by his wife on Monday evening after she received a worrying text message from him, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
The office added that he had booked a room on the 22nd floor of the hotel and that a secured window had been forced open. An investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released details about the cause of death.
French media reported that Mthethwa was believed to have taken his own life, although no official source confirmed this.
South Africa’s foreign affairs department confirmed his death, saying that the circumstances were under investigation by the French authorities.
Describing his death as a “national loss,” the department added that a “Ambassador Mthethwa was a distinguished servant of the nation, whose career was marked by dedicated service in critical ministerial portfolios.”
Mthethwa had served as South Africa’s Minister of Arts and Culture from 2014 to 2019 and later also managed the sports portfolio from 2019 to 2023, according to the South African embassy’s website.
