PARIS — South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, was found dead on Tuesday morning at the foot of the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile hotel, in what French authorities are treating as a possible suicide.
The 58-year-old diplomat, a former cabinet minister and senior figure in the African National Congress (ANC), had booked a room on the 22nd floor of the high-rise hotel. According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the window of his room had been forcibly opened using a pair of scissors found at the scene.
Mthethwa’s wife last saw him on Monday afternoon before he was due to attend a cocktail event. That evening, she received a message in which he reportedly apologized and expressed his intention to end his life.
“Initial investigations suggest that this could have been a deliberate act, without the intervention of a third party,” Beccuau stated, while confirming that a full inquiry is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.
Appointed ambassador in December 2023, Mthethwa had previously held several ministerial roles, including Minister of Police (2009–2014), Minister of Arts and Culture (2014–2019), and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture (2019–2023). He also served on the board of the 2010 FIFA World Cup local organising committee and was active in the ANC’s military wing during apartheid.
President Cyril Ramaphosa described Mthethwa’s death as “a moment of deep grief,” praising his decades of public service and commitment to South Africa’s democratic institutions.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed the ambassador’s passing and said French authorities are leading the investigation. Tributes have poured in from across South Africa’s political spectrum, reflecting Mthethwa’s long-standing influence in national affairs.
Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile Picture by BRENAC
