The South African ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa, was discovered dead following a reported fall from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris. French authorities have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, which occurred Tuesday morning at the Porte Maillot location.
Mthethwa, a former Cabinet minister and long-standing member of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), was found after his wife raised concerns about his disappearance. Investigators noted that a secure window at the hotel appeared to have been forced open. His last known phone signal was traced to the Bois de Boulogne park, prompting the use of search dogs during the initial inquiry.
The South African government stated that “the circumstances of his untimely death are under investigation by the French authorities.” Mthethwa’s tenure as minister of police from 2009 to 2014 was marked by controversy, including criticism over the 2012 Marikana massacre. He later served as minister of arts and culture before being appointed ambassador to France and UNESCO in 2023.
French prosecutors have dispatched an investigative judge to the scene, with inquiries ongoing. The ambassador’s death occurs amid heightened diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the United States, though no direct connection has been established between the incident and these relations.
