South Africa’s ambassador to France has been found de@d at the foot of a high-rise hotel in Paris.
Ambassador Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa had been reported missing by his wife after she received a text message from him that worried her, Le Parisien reported.
His body was discovered at the foot of the Hyatt Hotel in the Porte Maillot district on Monday after the wife reported him missing.
French media said the former South African cabinet minister is believed to have plunged from around the 22nd floor of the building.
Mthethwa’s disappearance had raised alarm after his wife reportedly received a troubling message from him before his phone was last traced near the Bois de Boulogne on the western edge of Paris.
Hours later, police located his body at the luxury hotel, where investigators say a window had been opened shortly before the fall.
The Paris police have so far declined to comment publicly on the case, but sources quoted in French outlets have pointed to suicide as the most likely cause.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation said it was aware of the reports and would issue a formal statement in due course.
Mthethwa, 57, was a veteran figure in South Africa’s ruling African National Congress and held several prominent cabinet positions, including police minister and arts and culture minister, before being appointed ambassador to France and permanent delegate to UNESCO in 2024.
His sudden de@th has sent shockwaves through South Africa’s political establishment, where tributes have begun to pour in for a man who, despite controversies during his ministerial career, was seen as a loyal party stalwart.
The circumstances surrounding his de@th remain under investigation by French authorities.