South Africa has been plunged into shock following the death of Nathi Mthethwa, its ambassador to France, who was found dead in Paris after what French authorities described as a fall from a high-rise hotel.
French daily Le Parisien reported that the 58-year-old diplomat is believed to have jumped from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the French capital. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Mthethwa’s wife had raised the alarm after receiving a “worrying message” from him on Monday evening, prompting her to report him missing.
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A room registered in his name was later found in the hotel. According to investigators, its security window had been forced open. The circumstances of his death remain unclear, and French prosecutors have opened an inquiry. A duty magistrate was dispatched to the scene on Monday night, while the city’s Brigade for the Repression of Personal Crime, part of the judicial police, has taken over the investigation.
Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s foreign minister, described Mthethwa as a “distinguished servant of the nation,” saying his death was not only a personal tragedy but “a national loss” that would be felt within the diplomatic community.
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Mthethwa had been appointed ambassador to Paris in December 2023 and also served as South Africa’s permanent delegate to UNESCO. His political career stretched back decades: he chaired parliament’s committee on mines and energy from 2004 to 2008, later becoming police minister, and subsequently sports, arts, and culture minister.
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He was a prominent figure within the African National Congress (ANC), the party that brought an end to apartheid under Nelson Mandela in 1994. He was also known as a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma and was implicated in the state capture inquiry, which investigated systemic corruption during Zuma’s administration.
News of his sudden death has rippled through South Africa’s political and diplomatic circles. Mthethwa was widely regarded as a seasoned politician, and while his career was not without controversy, he remained a central figure in the ANC and in government for over two decades.
The details surrounding his final hours remain uncertain. French investigators have yet to confirm whether foul play was involved, stressing that all lines of inquiry remain open.
