What we know about Nathi Mthethwa’s shocking death after allegedly falling from a Paris hotel
South Africa mourns the tragic loss of Nathi Mthethwa, the country’s ambassador to France, whose body was found outside a Parisian hotel under circumstances that remain under investigation.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation confirmed the news on Tuesday afternoon, stating that French authorities are probing the events leading up to his death.
Mthethwa, aged 58, was discovered at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel in western Paris, reportedly having fallen from the 22nd floor.
According to multiple media reports, including The Mirror UK, Mthethwa had been reported missing before his body was found.
His wife alerted French police after receiving a distressing message from him the previous evening. This prompted an urgent search operation, which included searches of wooded areas near the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement, supported by police dog units.
Local French officials confirmed that Mthethwa’s phone last made contact around 3 p.m. on Monday near the Bois de Boulogne.
“Fearing a possible suicide, the police, supported by a dog squad, searched the woods in western Paris,” reported the UK Daily Star,” reported the UK Daily Star. The message sent to his wife has not been made public.
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed deep sorrow over the ambassador’s sudden passing.
“Ambassador Mthethwa served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically,” he said.
“In his last tenure of service, he facilitated the deepening of relations between South Africa and the Republic of France, benefiting individuals and businesses in both countries, and advancing our cooperation on the global stage.”
Significant roles within South African politics marked Mthethwa’s career.
He served as Minister of Arts and Culture from 2014 to 2019, and subsequently as Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture until 2023.
From 2007 to 2022, he was also a member of the African National Congress’s National Executive Committee and National Working Committee, responsible for the day-to-day running and highest decision-making within the governing party.
Mthethwa’s name surfaced recently with investigations led by the Madlanga Commission, which is currently probing police corruption.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi testified that in 2011, while acting as national Police Commissioner, he faced obstruction from Mthethwa then Minister of Police, regarding the prosecution of Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli, accused of corruption involving Crime Intelligence Unit funds.
Although it remains unclear whether Mthethwa was expected to testify, he was reportedly to be granted a right of reply after being mentioned in testimony.
As investigations continue in Paris, South Africa remembers a public servant whose life and career abruptly ended in tragic circumstances.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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