South Africa’s ambassador to France has been found dead outside a high-rise hotel in Paris.
Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, 58, had been reported missing by his wife on Monday evening after she got a text message from him that concerned her, the prosecutor’s office in the French capital said.
It added that the ambassador’s body was discovered at the foot to the Hyatt Regency hotel in the west of the city.
Mr Mthethwa had booked a room on the 22nd floor, the prosecutor’s office said, adding that a secured window had been
forced open.
French media, including newspaper Le Parisien, said Mr Mthethwa was believed to have killed himself, without citing a source.
His death was called a “national loss” by South Africa’s foreign affairs department, which said the circumstances were under investigation by French authorities.
The department also said in a statement: “Ambassador Mthethwa was a distinguished servant of the nation, whose career was marked by dedicated service in critical ministerial portfolios.”
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He was South Africa’s minister of arts and culture from 2014 to 2019, adding sports to his portfolio from 2019 to 2023.
Mr Mthethwa was originally posted to the French embassy in February 2024 and was also South Africa’s permanent delegate to UNESCO.
