South African ambassador found dead at Paris hotel in possible suicide: prosecutor
This photograph shows the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile Hotel at Porte Maillot in Paris, where Nathi Mthethwa, South Africa's ambassador to France was found dead at the foot of the hotel on Tuesday, September 30.
Image: Anna Kurth/AFP
AUTHORITIES in Paris are investigating the death of South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, as a possible suicide, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.
The 58-year-old diplomat and former long-serving cabinet minister was found dead on Tuesday in the interior courtyard of the upscale Hyatt hotel in Paris.
Mthethwa had checked into a room on the 22nd floor. Investigators said the window, which was equipped with a security lock, had been forcibly opened using a pair of scissors found at the scene.
South Africa's ambassador to France Nathi Mthethwa was found dead on Tuesday.
Image: Simone Kley
The international news agency reported that Mthethwa saw his wife for a final time on Monday afternoon when he was supposed to go to a cocktail event. She then received a message in the evening "in which he apologised to her and expressed his intention to end his life", prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement.
"Initial investigations suggest that this could have been a deliberate act, without the intervention of a third party," she said, while emphasising the investigation would seek to collect all the details.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called his death "untimely" and "a moment of deep grief in which government and citizens stand beside the Mthethwa family".
"Ambassador Mthethwa has served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically," Ramaphosa said.
The presiding officers of parliament, led by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, in a joint statement, have expressed sadness at the passing of Mthethwa who was a former cabinet minister and long-serving member of parliament.
"His passing is a great loss not only to his family, friends and comrades, but also to the country he dedicated his life to serving. A committed youth leader during the struggle for liberation, Mr Mthethwa carried his passion for justice and empowerment into the democratic era, where he played a pivotal role as part of the second term of parliament.
"Throughout his career, he embodied the values of accountability, humility and service. His tireless efforts to uplift young people, promote cultural identity, and strengthen democratic institutions will remain his enduring legacy," read the statement.
Mthethwa’s death ends a more than three decade-long political career that spanned South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy, which began when he was 15-years-old.
He was an African National Congress loyalist, who served the party in various capacities. Mthethwa joined the cabinet in 2008 and served in different ministries until 2023 when he was appointed South Africa's ambassador to France.
His career highlights include:
Minister of Safety and Security (2008–2009)
Minister of Police (2009–2014)
Minister of Arts and Culture (2014–2023)
Mthethwa is survived by his wife and children.