South Africa is reeling from the sudden death of its ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, who was found dead in Paris after what French authorities described as a fall from a high-rise hotel.
According to French daily Le Parisien, the 58-year-old diplomat is believed to have jumped from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris.
The city’s prosecutor’s office confirmed that his wife alerted authorities after receiving a troubling message from him on Monday evening, prompting a missing-person report.
Investigators later found a hotel room registered in his name, where a security window had been forced open.
A magistrate was dispatched to the scene on Monday night, while the Brigade for the Repression of Personal Crime, a branch of the French judicial police, has taken over the investigation.
Officials say the circumstances of his death remain unclear, and all lines of inquiry are being pursued.
Don’t Miss This: CAC, SMEDAN Launch Free Business Registration for 250,000 MSMEs
South Africa’s foreign minister, Ronald Lamola, paid tribute to Mthethwa, describing him as a “distinguished servant of the nation” whose death was not only a personal tragedy but also “a national loss” that would resonate within the diplomatic community.
Mthethwa, appointed ambassador to France in December 2023, also served as South Africa’s permanent delegate to UNESCO.
His political career spanned more than two decades: he chaired parliament’s committee on mines and energy, served as police minister, and later became minister of sports, arts, and culture.
A prominent figure in the African National Congress (ANC), he was a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma and was named in the state capture inquiry into systemic corruption during Zuma’s administration.
Though his career was often marked by controversy, Mthethwa remained an influential figure within the ANC and the South African government.
His death has sent shockwaves through political and diplomatic circles at home and abroad.
French authorities have yet to determine whether foul play was involved, stressing that the investigation remains ongoing.
Image Credit: Bloomberg.com
