South African Ambassador found dead in Paris, prosecutors suggest suicide
Photo: Nkosinathi Emmanuel Nathi Mthethwa, South African Ambassador to France (x.com/CyrilRamaphosa)
In Paris, the South African Ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Nathi Mthethwa, was found dead. Prosecutors are considering the possibility of suicide, France24 reports.
The body of the 58-year-old diplomat, a close ally of former South African President Jacob Zuma, was found in the inner courtyard of the luxury Hyatt hotel.
Ambassador Mthethwa was staying on the 22nd floor of the hotel. According to investigators, the window of his room had been opened with scissors found at the scene.
His wife last saw him on Monday afternoon. Later that evening, she received a message in which he apologized and expressed his intention to end his life, prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.
"Initial investigations suggest that this could have been a deliberate act, without the intervention of a third party," she added, noting that authorities will determine all the details.
Mthethwa had headed the embassy since December 2023. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described his death as tragic and untimely.
"Ambassador Mthethwa has served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically," he emphasized.
According to the South African Foreign Ministry, French authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death.
Political career
Mthethwa held high-ranking positions in the government and the African National Congress for many years.
From 2014 to 2019, he led the Ministry of Culture, later heading the Ministry of Sport, Arts, and Culture. Prior to that, he served as Minister of Police (2009–2014) and Minister of Security (2008–2009). He was also part of the organizing committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
